Frayed at the Ends
by sparkofinspiration
Summary: When the love of his life Kurt Hummel left him, a broken Blaine Anderson dropped out of college and moved in with his parents. At 25 he decides to move to New York City to pick up the pieces and start fresh, but a run in with Kurt stops him in his tracks.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ _Hello! Jess here! Alright, so this is my first ever Klaine fic I have written. It is a future!fic and I started writing it over the summer and that was before we found out Blaine was a Junior at McKinley instead of a Senior, so in my fic Blaine and Kurt were Seniors and graduated McKinley together. Sorry if that throws you off but I didn't want to change it after I had already written so much of the story when we found out Blaine was actually a Junior._

_ The story is written from Blaine's point of view.  
><em>

_ The whole entire thing is written through to completion and I'll be posting one chapter every Monday and Thursday until the end of the fic._

_I do not own anything Glee related._

_Enjoy and thanks for reading!_

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><p>The morning sun crept through the window and glared over the nest of blankets tangled up on the bed. Blaine Anderson grumbled and pulled the pillows over his head hoping for a few more hours of sleep but only moments later, his alarm clock loudly shrilled to life. Flailing around, the 25 year old man untangled himself from the mass of pillows and sheets and lurched across the room to silence the blaring alarm. He leaned against the empty dresser and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, running a hand across the morning stubble shading his chin. Today was the day.<p>

He had been looking forward to this day for the last few months and now it was finally here. Moving to New York was a huge step in his life and after his failure in Los Angeles, Blaine had been reluctant to take the next step in his life. Living with your parents at 25 years old leaves a huge dent in your ego, especially after how big Blaine's had gotten after his graduation.

High School graduation was just a blip on the radar of the perfect life he was about to start. He had the best boyfriend in the entire universe, Kurt— whose name Blaine could barely think of without being hit by dull waves of loss—, he had a full scholarship to one of the best colleges in California, and he was well on his way to becoming the star he had always dreamed of being. He and Kurt were destined to be together even though Kurt was attending school in New York and was perusing his dreams of Broadway, while Blaine was going to try his hand at acting and music on the Golden Coast. Everything was just so perfect. But life always seems to blot out the sun at one time or another.

School was great during his freshmen year and his summer back in Ohio with Kurt was simply sublime, because the distance between California and New York wasn't really as big as it seemed. But his sophomore year was a whole other animal. The phone calls and care packages with Kurt slowed and texts became one-sided. Blaine could feel Kurt pulling away and the distance between New York and LA became much further than Blaine had ever thought it could. During winter break, Kurt did not want to come back to Ohio, so Blaine spent the holiday alone in his dorm room only getting one text from Kurt on Christmas saying _"Merry Xmas B. ~K"_.

Then summer came around and Blaine came back to Ohio. Kurt did not. With all the free time during the summer Blaine expected the calls to become more frequent and the letters to flow like they had before. They didn't. He heard from Kurt every few weeks via short email and "I love you" was no longer said. Blaine new the end was coming, but it hit him like a mac truck regardless when he got the call from Kurt one fateful day in July. Kurt had met someone else and he still wanted to be Blaine's friend, but Blaine could only just stare at the floor and try to keep his voice from shaking when he agreed it was for the best. Tears were clinging to his eyelashes before he hung up the phone.

Ever since, he has been in his old bedroom in Ohio, working with his father at his office as an assistant, all the drive to get out was gone. He cancelled his enrollment in school and cut all ties with any friends he had in California. His lust for life was dashed like a campfire in the rain. Kurt on the other hand seemed to flourish like the flower he was. He graduated college with honors and starred in a few Broadway productions. News spreads fast in a small town and Blaine had heard through the grape vine that Kurt Hummel was now in Paris indulging in his love of fashion. Stories made their way through town that Blaine wished he had been there with Kurt to help write. Instead, he has been stuck at home with his parents.

Not anymore. Today was move-out day. He had come upon this epiphany a few months ago sitting in the confinement of the office as he watched life simply pass him by. Here he was, a talented young man not following his dreams, and the _old_ Blaine would never settle for such a life. That day, he booked his plane ticket for New York City, determined to make something out of himself. He figured that since California did not work out, so New York City may be just what the doctor ordered.

All of his belongings were packed and he had his plan in order. He booked a week at a hotel so he can have time to search for an apartment to live in and everything was set. All he was bringing with him was his guitar and a suitcase of clothes; the rest would be shipped out when he found an apartment. He didn't know what he was going to do, but all he knew was he needed to sing again. He had stopped singing after he moved back to Ohio but in the last year that has been leading up to his move to the city, he began singing again. In the shower, in the car, during his morning runs, at the office, and any time he had a free moment to himself. His parents noticed the shift too and ignored the change in their son, just letting him sing his heart out whenever he wanted. They were pleasantly surprised when he declared he wanted to move and they even paid for his plane ticket so he could save up for an apartment. Everyone was behind him today, and he was ready to go.

Blaine looked into the mirror in his bathroom, shaving the last of the scruff off his face, unable to keep himself from smiling. The nervousness of entering into the unknown tickled the back of his mind, but it was overshadowed by this new vigor he felt for finally getting out of Ohio for good. Slowly but surely, the old Blaine was resurfacing. After shaving, he got dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans, a polo shirt, black shoes, and packed the remaining bit of his wardrobe into his suitcase. He grabbed his guitar and the suitcase and thudded down the stairs. Dropping his luggage off at the door, he went into the kitchen to see his parents sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast and he slid into the chair next to his mother. She slid her arm around his shoulders and hugged him to her side as she ate her toast and gave a light sigh.

"We are so happy for you sweetheart," she murmured against the curls on her son's head.

"We really are son," his father chimed in.

"I love you guys. And thank you, for everything."

Blaine wrapped his arms around his mother for a moment before standing up and kissing her on the forehead. His father extended a hand which held Blaine's plane ticket and pulled his son in for a hug after Blaine pocketed the ticket. "Love you, son."

"Love you too, Dad." Blaine and his father parted when he heard the _honk_ from the driveway signaling the shuttle was there to take him to the airport. He gave his mother's hand a reassuring squeeze and strode through the front door with his luggage, leaving his old life behind.

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><p><em>Thank you, thank you, thank you for reading! Next chapter will be posted on Thursday!<em>

_~ Jess_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **Thanks for reading guys! In the first few chapters I establish Blaine's new life in New York... Keep reading to see what happens!_

_I don't own anything Glee related.  
><em>

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><p>Blaine walked down the partially empty streets of New York City with his guitar in the early morning hours on his way to work. He had been living in The Big Apple for two months now and has been loving <em>every<em> minute of it. The young man came to a stop in front of the small coffee shop he worked at and unlocked the doors. Normally getting up early to work for just above minimum wage would be the bane of one's existence, but to Blaine, it was simply magical. Seeing the city taking a nap (because New York never settles down for a full night's sleep) is mystifying and being in the day time hustle and bustle of the city is just what Blaine's life was missing. He was finally on his own in a small apartment with a job to help pay the bills as he started this new life. For once in his life, he was a morning person. He woke up every morning ready and excited to start the day, and opening the shop was one of his favorite things to do.

Once the store's front door was unlocked, Blaine dropped his guitar case off behind the front counter and donned an apron, tying the strings loosely around his back. He grabbed the doorstop and wedged it under the front door, propping it open and welcoming passersby into the shop and letting the smell of fresh coffee waft out onto the sidewalk. He set the coffee brewing and went about readying the tables inside and outside the shop by turning down chairs and unfolding the rich green umbrellas. Once the shop was set up, Blaine grabbed the mop and swung it around the floor humming a swing number to himself and treating the mop handle as his dance partner. He danced around the coffee shop floor with his partner and finished with a dip in front of the counter. Blaine was smiling to himself as he returned the mop to the back room. Normal mundane tasks turned into well-choreographed performances whenever he opened. Blaine whipped up a batch of cranberry scones and popped them into the oven and ran a hand through his hair, dusting the dark curls atop his head with a fine layer of flour. He then wiped his hands off on the front of his apron and snatched up his guitar from behind the counter.

Outside the shop, Blaine sat on one of the umbrella shaded tables and thoughtfully strummed his guitar. Soft notes reflecting the serenity of the morning sang from his fingertips and before long, the music grew and filled the street around him. The morning commuters stuck in traffic listened to his guitar and business people walking to work stopped and listened to him on the not-too-crowded sidewalk. Blaine drowned out the entire outside world and just let himself get carried away with his music.

"Jam session?" came a female voice.

Blaine knew that voice without looking up. "Of course," he replied simply, lifting his gaze and smiling at his boss and best friend, Elise. "Scones are in the oven."

She let her hand brush against Blaine's shoulder as she entered her coffee shop. Elise was such a blessing in Blaine's life. She gave him his job and helped him find an apartment and she was just always there for him. When he was down (which was not often) she was there and she would do anything to make him laugh. He confided his secrets to her and told her he was gay hoping desperately she would still accept him. She didn't miss a beat. Once Blaine came out to her, she immediately began trying to set him up on dates with friends of hers and she stayed up late giggling with Blaine into the night as he recounted his dates to her. He even told her about Kurt, which is something he never told anyone, he only barely told his parents. She accepted him just the way he was and took him under her wing while he got his feet under him. She supported his dreams of becoming a musician and went to both of the shows he put on in the bar down the street from the coffee shop. She was one of the best friends he has ever had.

"So, I'm thinking double date tonight," Elise said appearing over his shoulder. She lit up a cigarette and puffed as he quietly plucked the strings of his guitar.

"Are you talking to me?" Blaine asked innocently looking up at her through his luscious black eyelashes.

"No, I'm talking to the guitar. Dudes dig chicks who play a good guit-fiddle."

"Clever," Blaine smiled, "where are we going and who am I dating tonight?"

"I was thinking Nathanial?"

Blaine shrugged. He went out to dinner with Nathanial last week and they really hit it off. Nathaniel was a writer, composer, and musician; he was also an amazing classical pianist, so he and Blaine bonded over their love of music. Nathanial was also interested in fashion and his love of clothes reminded Blaine of Kurt. As Nate talked about hems and pockets all Blaine could do was sit through a wave of memories of him and Kurt sitting in the park and flipping through the latest issue of _Vogue_ magazine. He was a nice enough guy, and he gave Blaine a very gentlemanly kiss on the cheek after he walked Blaine home… But Blaine just did not feel ready for another relationship even though he had only ever been in one and it ended five years ago.

"I don't know, Elise."

"Oh come on! You had such a nice time with Nate last week!" she objected taking a dramatic pull from her cigarette. She blew the puff of smoke out in one frustrated huff, "what's wrong with the man?"

Blaine hesitated, his eyes roaming the neck of his guitar so he didn't have to look at Elise's scathing gaze. "He's nice and everything. He paid for dinner and walked me home and stuff…"

"I don't see a problem with that," his friend said around the cigarette in her mouth.

"He is a nice guy and I like him a lot. It's just… He reminds me of…" Blaine couldn't finish the thought.

"Kurt?"

Blaine nodded.

Elise snuffed out her cigarette in the basin next to the coffee shop entrance and sat on the table top next to her friend. She slid an arm around Blaine's shoulders and let him lean his head against her shoulder.

"You gotta move on, baby. You're a _great_ guy and you can't let Kurt drag you down. I know it's rough. I've been there with my ex-husband. But Kurt moved on and now it's time for you do so too," Elise ran her fingers through Blaine's flour-dusted locks.

"I know. You're right, as always," Blaine muttered.

"Yup! So you and Nathanial will be joining John and I for an evening of dancing at the swing club down the street," she said decisively.

"Sounds fun. Hopefully our friend Nate can dance," Blaine smiled nudging Elise with his elbow.

"I guess we will find out tonight! Come on, people will start coming in and you need to make more of those famous Anderson scones of yours!" Elise hopped down and went back into the shop with Blaine and his guitar following after her.

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><p>Blaine nervously shifted from foot to foot in the abnormally cold, late April night in front of the coffee shop. He wished he had worn another jacket but he didn't want the full effect of his ensemble to be lost by being covered up by a jacket. Blaine pulled out all the stops. He was dressed in all black from head to toe. Black shoes and trousers accompanied by a simple black jacket over a black button-down shirt and vest. The only pops of color were the white tie tucked into his vest and the white ribbon circling his black fedora. He wanted to impress Nate, and he took Elise's advice to really give this guy a shot. He even gelled his hair into place, carefully smoothing down the curls, which is something he hadn't done since his days in high school. He wore his expensive cologne and looked sharp as a tack. Nate wouldn't know what hit him because even Blaine felt handsome. His physical hotness didn't translate to actual temperature as he stood alone and freezing in front of the coffee shop waiting for the rest of this date to arrive.<p>

Just as he felt like his fingers were going to fall off, two men and a woman rounded the corner. Blaine covered his mouth with his hand to suppress a giddy grin. He looked over his date with appreciation that he was not the only one to get into costume for the event. Where Blaine was dressed in black, Nate was his negative and dressed in white. His shoes were black and white and very 40's in style. He wore an entire white three piece suit with a black tie, complete with a white, flat-brimmed fedora embellished with a flaming orange feather. He looked very, very handsome. Blaine could feel a blush warm his frozen cheeks as Nate approached and for the first time since he was a teenager, he felt butterflies stir to life in his stomach.

"Hey Blaine," Nate said in his baritone voice scooping the shorter man into a hug. "You look fantastic!"

Blaine scratched the back of his neck nervously, "thanks Nate, as do you," he replied his hand gesturing to his date's outfit in a wide swoop.

"I wanted to get into character," he shrugged and spun in a circle, letting the long tail of his zoot suit jacket fan out around him.

"Mission accomplished," Blaine said as the corners of his mouth turned up.

"You're too sweet," Nate cooed taking Blaine's hand in his, letting his long piano fingers entwine with Blaine's shorter, callused ones.

"You two make me want to vomit!" Elise cried putting her hands on her hips. Blaine smiled and untangled his hand from Nate's as another blush tickled his cheeks. "I mean really guys? Fedoras? Ugh! Meanwhile I'm standing here dressed in a plain-Jane black dress with Mr. tee-shirt and jeans!" Blaine and Nate chuckled.

"Well _excuuuuuuuuse_ me!" John blurted mimicking Elise and resting his hands on hips.

Nate butt into Elise and John's glaring match. "Are we going to stand here freezing all night being jealous of mine and Blaine's good looks? I don't know about you two, but I am a popsicle and I think dancing is the perfect way to warm up!" After another intense moment of staring Elise took John by the hand and pulled him along beside her.

She called over her shoulder, "you two love birds coming?"

Nathanial offered his arm to Blaine who blushed (again) and looped his arm through his date's and they followed Elise and John down the street.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be posted Monday!<em>

~Jess


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:** Just a little bit more of establishing Blaine's new life before Kurt comes in, I promise!_

_As always, I do not own anything Glee related._

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><p>They stepped out of the swing club at quarter to twelve, laughing loudly with flushed cheeks. Blaine couldn't remember a time when he had smiled so much in one night. "That was so much fun!" Nate cheered wrapping an arm around Blaine's waist and pressing a kiss into his temple. Blaine could feel the butterflies stir in him every time Nate touched him, making him smile and laugh the entire evening. His cheeks ached and he felt like a smitten teenager, even though he never thought he could again.<p>

Elise agreed and turned to Nate. "Who knew you were such a great dancer!"

"I used to teach a swing class at the youth center a few years ago," Nathanial replied with a shrug. "I thought you knew when you suggested we all go dancing."

"Well it was a pleasant surprise that someone could keep up with me for once," Blaine smiled lightly hip-checking Nate's side.

"I'm just surprised how well those little legs of yours can move," Nate teased.

"Well not all of us can be six feet tall. Ever heard of the saying 'good things come in small packages'?"

"I have actually, and after tonight I can safely say I believe in it," the taller man laughed and Blaine smiled, the permanent blush he wore the whole night tickled his cheeks again and he turned even more red.

"Well, I could stand here and watch the two of you exchange adorable banter, but I am _freezing_ and these heels are _killing_ me. Good night Nate, I'll see you at work tomorrow Blaine," Elise said taking John by the hand and dragging him behind her down the street.

"It was nice seeing you guys!" the helpless John called over his shoulder as he stumbled along after his girlfriend.

"Poor guy doesn't know what he's getting into," Nate said.

Blaine chuckled lightly. "If he was clueless going into it, then he must not know our Elise very well."

"I suppose not." Blaine nodded and agreement as a cold wind whipped up, sending shiver running through his whole body. "Are you cold?" Nate asked looking back at the shorter man next to him.

"Once we get walking I'll be fine."

"Here," Nate removed his jacket and placed it around Blaine's shoulders covering his small frame in the long coat. Blaine slid his arms through the long sleeves and laughed when his arms were too short to make it all the way to the end of the sleeves. He held up his arms, letting the extra fabric of the sleeve covering his hands hang down.

Nate suppressed a smile and offered his arm to Blaine very gentlemanly and Blaine looped his arm through Nate's. "At least your hands will be warm," Nate said nonchalantly and Blaine laughed as they set off for Blaine's apartment. At first they walked in silence just letting their happiness and the clacking sound of Nate's hard-soled shoes echo around them, but after a minute or two they started excitedly talking about dancing.

"You didn't strike me as the dancing type," Blaine admitted.

"What because I'm tall?"

"Yeah. I just see really tall guys as awkward."

"Am I awkward to you?" Nate laughed.

"No no no," Blaine quickly fumbled. "It's just my ex's step brother was as tall as you and he danced like a giraffe with rickets," Blaine laughed once before realizing he'd mentioned his ex and stopped. The silence between the men felt tense and awkward. _Why did I have to bring that up?_

"So you have an ex?" Nate asked breaking the silence.

"Yeah. It ended not so great. I-I don't really like to talk about him," Blaine looked down at the sidewalk below them.

Nathanial nodded in understanding. "It's okay, I understand. But always know you can tell me anything."

Blaine smiled a little and thought about Nate's offer and it really touched him that this guy who he had just met last week cared so much. Since coming to New York, Elise had been the only one who was really looking out for him. It was nice to have someone who cared about him and his feelings. Since Kurt, no one had given him that kind of emotional support until he moved to New York. Maybe he could love again. Maybe Nate could be his knight in shining armor. Maybe Elise is right and it is time to just move on from Kurt. But, the only way he was going to do that was to open up about it…

"His name was Kurt," Blaine murmured.

"Pardon?"

"My ex-boyfriend. His name is Kurt."

Nate nodded and asked, "how long did you two date?"

Blaine hesitated. Maybe talking about it was not the best idea. Thinking about Kurt made him feel nauseous but he knew that talking about it was for the best. "From the end of Junior year of high school through to the summer after our Sophomore year in college."

Nate's eyes widened and he slowed their pace. "You came out in high school?" Blaine nodded. "That's amazing. I could never have come out back then; the people in my town were _seriously_ homophobic."

"It was really rough at first. I got beaten up _a lot_ right after I came out. I even had to change schools to an academy that had a zero tolerance bully policy… That's where I met Kurt."

"He came out too?"

"Yeah. He had bully problems with a closeted gay jock and found the zero tolerance policy at Dalton Academy to be as tempting as I had. He enrolled half way through Junior year."

"Was it love at first sight?" Nate asked wistfully.

"I don't really know. He was really handsome and we had a lot in common, but it took me a while to finally admit my feelings."

"Admit your feelings to him?"

"Admit them to _myself_." Blaine looked up into the night sky seeing only the moon because the bright lights of the city erased the pinprick stars from the inky night sky. "He was just there as my friend and one day, it hit me that I cared about him as much more." Blaine said remembering the day well. Pavarotti (rest his soul) had passed away and Kurt sang "Black Bird" by _The Beatles_ as a sort of eulogy for the bird. It was in that moment when Kurt was so vulnerable that Blaine realized he had been blind to Kurt for so long. He was passionate and smart and talented and how he wore his emotions like another accessory. Blaine just loved him, and he loved Blaine. _Loved_. But not anymore. Blaine heaved a sigh.

"What happened to the relationship?" Nathanial asked to keep a silence from settling.

"We grew apart. He went to school in New York and I went to California. The first year was fine and we talked every day; we even spent the summer together and it seemed like we could make it work. Sophomore year just changed. We stopped talking and he didn't go home for the summer. He met someone else and ended it that July."

"Was is tough?" Nate asked wrapping his left arm around Blaine's shoulders as they walked.

"Very. He was my first _everything_. I couldn't go back to school. I stopped talking to all of my friends. I lived with my parents and stopped doing all the things I love, like music."

"Sounds hard."

"It was."

"Well, it seems to me like this Kurt was dragging you down and even though it might have been good while you were with him, you are too good to let some guy get to you like that."

The couple slowed to a stop in front of Blaine's apartment and Blaine turned to face Nathanial.

"Thanks, Nate. For everything. Tonight was the most fun I've had in years," and Blaine smiled because it was the truth.

Nate smiled wide, "I had a great time too. I really like you Blaine, ca-can I see you?"

Blaine was taken aback by the question, "what do you mean?"

Nate shrugged and wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist, pulling him close to his chest. "I mean exclusively. Just you and me. Not seeing anybody else?"

Blaine's eyes widened. He thought Nate had _some_ feelings towards him but not enough to want to go steady with him. Blaine's cheeks turned a violent shade of red in the street lamps as he stood there in Nate's arms. Blaine's hands shakily made their way up the taller man's chest before coming to a stop on his shoulders.

"I'd like that," Blaine smiled as wide as his cheeks could go. As soon as the words left Blaine's lips Nathanial's face broke into the biggest grin Blaine had ever seen, and his smile got even closer as Nate closed the distance between their faces. Blaine froze for a moment, not sure how to react but Nate was slow and gentile when he brought his hand up to sweetly cup the side of Blaine's face and he tenderly pressed his lips to Blaine's. The kiss was different. Foreign. His lips were fuller than Kurt's and the height difference was greater. Much to Blaine's surprise, the butterflies sparked to life in his abdomen and his insides turned to jelly. Nate pulled away and his brown eyes looked deeply into Blaine's hazel ones and in that moment, Blaine couldn't help but think, _maybe I can love him_.

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><p><em>Thank you so, so, so much for reading! Next chapter will be posted Thursday!<em>

~Jess


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** Helloooooo! So here is the next chapter and it's a bit longer than all of the others I have posted thus far. From here on out they're going to be a tad longer that the first few chapters. Enjoy!_

_Once again, I do not own anything Glee related._

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><p>The next month whipped by in a blur of happiness Blaine wished would never end. Nate visited him at work every day and they ate a lunch together that Nate would bring; that lunch was usually accompanied by a CD Nate had made or some flowers. They saw two Broadway musicals together and went dancing nearly every weekend. Blaine was not used to being doted upon because in his relationship with Kurt, he was the gentleman. But Blaine wouldn't have his relationship with this new man any other way. Nate was the perfect gentlemen. And a handsome one too. Blaine usually wasn't into men who were too much taller than him, but Nate was a welcome exception. He was over six feet tall and lean with dark brown hair, matching eyes, and long narrow piano fingers that felt so right when they were interlaced with Blaine's. His smile could light up a room and his low voice was always sure and comforting.<p>

"-aine! BLAINE!" Blaine snapped his head out of the clouds to find Elise planted in front of him with her hands locked on her hips. "Did you hear anything I just said?"

Blaine looked around and ventured a guess because truthfully, he hadn't been paying attention to anything Elise had said in the last five minutes. "Uhhh, closing time?"

Elise shook her head and smiled, crossing her arms. "Nice guess, lover boy. Got boy problems on your mind?" she asked setting about emptying the old coffee from the pot and washing it.

Blaine shook his head and went outside to take the umbrellas inside. The sun was down and the night life of New York City was just picking up. He came back into the empty coffee shop with an armful of table umbrellas and set them down in the back room. "I wouldn't call Nate a problem." Blaine began upturning chairs and putting them up on the tabletops.

Elise smiled, busying herself behind the counter. "Not when you smile like that he isn't. Are you seeing him tonight?"

"I am going over to his place and he's cooking dinner," Blaine smiled.

"You really like this guy, huh?"

Blaine didn't even hesitate, "Yeah," he laughed. "He just makes me feel young again."

"You're not old, B."

She smirked and Blaine shook his head turning the last chair up onto a table. "Not young as in age. I feel like I'm making up for lost time. All those years I was in Ohio, I wasn't really living. With Nate," he shrugged, "I feel alive again."

"Sounds like a knight in shining armor," Elise teased flipping the "OPEN" sign on the door to "CLOSED".

Blaine took off his apron and snatched his guitar case from the back room. "As cliché as it sounds, he kind of is." Blaine smiled and shrugged. "How's John?"

"John's, John. We're past the honeymoon stage of our relationship unlike you and Mr. Wise. I think we're all set here if you want to head out, you must be anxious to get going."

"Thanks Elise," Blaine said giving her a one-armed hug and racing for the door, "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow!"

Elise smiled and waved as Blaine rushed out into the night with his guitar. He stopped in the street and thrust his hand up hailing a taxi. He jumped into the back seat and gave Nate's address to the driver and settled in for the 10 minute drive. He could already feel the butterflies in his stomach in anticipation of tonight's date. Nate said he wanted to do something more personal and not quite so public because as a gay couple, you can't exactly act like a straight couple during a public dinner-date. Blaine pulled off the flour-covered and coffee stained long-sleeved sweater and flattened down the front of his white button-down shirt. He unbuttoned the top button revealing a little more of his chest, but just enough to be tasteful with the right amount of sex appeal. He secretly wished he had the time to go home and freshen up so he would not look and smell like he had just gotten off of work, but going back would be stalling the date and Blaine would _not_ do that. The cab rolled to a stop along the curb in front of Nate's apartment complex. Blaine handed the cabbie his fare and thanked him graciously as he stepped out of the cab. He gripped the handle of his guitar tightly as he walked up the steps of the building. He pressed the buzzer number for Nate's apartment and heard the speaker crackle to life.

"Yes?" came his boyfriend's voice from the old speaker.

"Someone ordered some coffee?" Blaine teased in reply.

Blaine could hear the smile in Nate's voice when he answered him, "come on up!"

The door clicked, signaling it was unlocked and Blaine strode over the threshold. The lobby was nothing short of expensively spectacular, and it was much fancier than Blaine's apartment. He made his way over to the stairs and took them two at a time as he made his way to the third floor. He reached the top and waited a moment to catch his breath and smooth down his shirt before opening the door at the top of the flight of stairs. Nate's apartment was one of two on this floor, so Blaine made his way over to the left hand apartment door and knocked three times. There was a shuffling from the other side of the door and a pause while its owner peered through the peep-hole. Blaine waved knowing Nate could see him, and the door opened. Nate stood in the doorway casually dressed in a close-fitting blue polo shirt and designer jeans. He leaned in the doorframe taking in Blaine and his guitar.

"Are you going to let me in, or just let me stand here in the hallway?" Blaine snipped, but the smile on his face let Nathanial know it was a joke.

"I was just going to have you stand there so I can look at you," Nate shrugged with a devilish grin. Blaine dropped his guitar at his feet and struck a few poses making the man in the doorway burst out laughing. "Alright, alright, come inside," he conceded, retreating into the apartment.

Blaine snatched up his guitar and strode into the dwelling, closing the door behind him. He had been inside Nate's apartment a few times before, and the lavish decadence never failed to impress him. Blaine's family was pretty well off growing up, but his status was nothing compared to Nathanial's. He was a well-known and sought-after composer, author, and pianist; his talents for music and literature fund his lavish lifestyle and the dates he and Blaine went on. Living off a coffee shop and an occasional show salary were not exactly what one would call "lavish" especially given the high cost of living in NYC. The furniture was leather and a grand piano was the focal point in the immaculate sitting room. In this room, rows and rows of books and volumes of sheet music lined the room on either side of a large entertainment center, which organized probably somewhere around one hundred movies of all genres. Blaine set his guitar next to the glossy piano, his fingers had always itched to tickle the keys but he never asked Nate in case it was a touchy subject.

Blaine passed the book-filled sitting room and followed the sound of rummaging coming from the kitchen. All the lights in the kitchen were off and the only illumination was the soft flickering glow emitting from two long, wax candles on the dining table. A vase of red roses was set in between the candlesticks and stray red petals littered the table around the centerpiece. On each side of the small table were two plates of steaming food, the smell mingling with the scent of roses and making Blaine's mouth water. Nate emerged from the nearby walk-in pantry with two long-stemmed wine glasses and a bottle of red wine dangling from his fingertips. He smiled when he saw the look on Blaine's face as his boyfriend took in the whole scene.

"Impressed?" he inquired setting the glasses and the bottle down on the table. He uncorked the wine and poured it carefully into the wine glasses, being careful not to spill a single drop on the white table cloth. He handed a glass to Blaine and tapped their drinks together before taking a sip. Blaine smelled the wine, appreciating the scent before he took a sip.

"Oh! That is _amazing_!" Blaine exclaimed covering his mouth in surprise.

"Thank you," Nate smiled, "I've been saving for someone special to share it with."

Blaine gushed, his eyes smoldering in the candle light and his cheeks taking on a pink hue. Nate removed the glass from Blaine's hand and set their drinks down on the table. Blaine was about to protest but the words never got the chance to leave his lips because suddenly, Nate was pressed against him, trapping his lips in his own. Blaine sighed into the kiss and wrapped his arms around Nate. His lips were warm and tasted of the delicious wine. Nate grew more urgent, moving his mouth faster and less gently against Blaine's. He backed Blaine back up against the doorway, his lips moving hungrily to Blaine's neck when the shorter man gasped.

Nate's lips returned to Blaine's and began to press one heated kiss after another onto Blaine's lips. For some reason, kissing Nate like this was awkward, not unpleasant, just awkward. He had been so used to kissing only Kurt that he had fallen into a pattern, kissing this new man was strange. It felt good but for some reason if it was anything more than a peck, his lips would not cooperate and his kissing was slow and clumsy, though it didn't deter Nathanial. His hands pressed against Blaine's hips and his greedy fingers were digging into his flesh. Blaine gasped for air and before Nate could start another onslaught of kisses, he said, "you're lovely dinner is getting cold."

Nate paused and looked over his shoulder at the table. He sighed and turned back to his lover who was still pressed against the door frame. "I suppose you're right," he murmured. He leaned down and pressed one last kiss into Blaine's pink lips before untangling himself and walking over to the table. Blaine took a deep breath and smoothed down his shirt again meanwhile, Nate pulled out a chair and gestured for Blaine to sit. He smiled and sat down as Nathanial pushed the chair in before taking his seat across from him. Blaine spread the napkin over his lap and looked over the food in front of him. Steamed vegetables and succulent salmon adorned with rosemary and lemon slivers. Blaine lifted a bite to his mouth and sighed.

"This is delicious," he moaned around a mouthful of salmon and he scooped up another mouthful.

"I'm glad you are enjoying it, I wanted everything to be special for tonight."

"What's the occasion?"

Nate shrugged taking a sip of wine. "I don't know. I just wanted a perfect evening with the man I love," he murmured over the lip of his glass.

Blaine inhaled sharply, nearly choking on the asparagus in his mouth. He swallowed and coughed lightly, sipping his wine to cover his surprise. "Pardon?"

Nate smiled at having caught Blaine off guard with his declaration, "I love you, Blaine."

Blaine froze, the glass of wine clenched in his fingers. He knew the relationship was going really great, but _love_? Was he in love with Nathanial Wise? _NO, _shouted the voice in the back of his head. In that moment, all he could picture was the day in the coffee shop back in high school when he and Kurt said 'I love you' for the first time. That day he meant it, and every 'I love you' he had said to Kurt was true. Blaine hesitated, panic gripping his chest. Why was he reacting like this? This should make him happy, right? This is what he wanted, right? Still, he could not shake the feeling of unease those three loaded words from Nate had caused. Blaine smiled and tried to look as calm as possible though inside he was screaming at himself.

"Too soon?" Nate asked when Blaine did not reply.

"No, no. It's just," Blaine hesitated, "this is the first relationship I've been in since Kurt and I really care about you and—"

"Blaine, you don't have to explain yourself to me," Nate slid his hand across the table and took Blaine's. "I just want you to know that I love you, and I am completely dedicated to you in mind, body, and soul."

Blaine felt tears prick his eyes. "Wow," he breathed.

"Just know that I love you. Don't feel pressured to say it, only say it when you're ready," when Nate smiled, it was warm and damn near melted Blaine's heart.

"I do care about you, a lot," Blaine paused taking Nathanial's hand in both of his.

"But you're not in love with me," Blaine started to hesitate, but Nate held up his free hand, "I told you it's fine, only say it when you mean it."

Blaine smiled, leaning across the table and pressed his lips sweetly to Nate's.

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><p>The next morning, Blaine woke more refreshed than ever. Though last night nearly turned into a disaster, it was just too perfect. He no longer felt pressured in his relationship with Nathanial, and Nate loved him. Loved <em>him<em>. He had never thought it could happen again to him. The way he and Kurt ended put a lot of doubt in his head. If Kurt could leave him so easily, how would anyone be able to love him and never leave him? Nathanial found a way.

Blaine headed into work and opened the shop. He was outside with his guitar just about to begin playing when Elise came bounding up to him. "SO?"

"What?" Blaine asked, perfectly aware of what she wanted to know.

"What happened? Details! Details!" She exclaimed seating herself across from him at the table. Blaine sighed, faking exasperation to tease his friend. "Blaine Anderson, if you don't start talking so help me God, I will put perm chemicals in your shampoo!"

Blaine gasped, "you wouldn't!"

"Don't test me Anderson, now spill."

Blaine laughed. "Alright, alright, calm down. Well, I got there and he wouldn't let me in at first, but eventually he did. He had all the lights off and it was candle lit, with red roses and rose petals. He cooked salmon and we drank expensive wine. It was _so_ romantic."

"Awwww!" she exclaimed clasping her hands together. "What else happened? Did you guys… you know?" Elise deliberately cut off, arching her eyebrows suggestively.

Blaine was puzzled for a moment, not really understanding what she was asking, then it hit him. "No! No we haven't gone that far!"

"No?" she asked raising an eyebrow, skeptical if he was telling the truth or not.

Blaine shook his head and told her, "no. I _assure_ you we didn't do anything."

She nodded, seemingly satisfied. "What was the occasion then? One month anniversaries seem kind of trivial when you aren't in high school."

"It wasn't an anniversary thing," Blaine said crossing his arms and resting them on the side of his guitar.

"Then why did he make it so special if it wasn't for a romantic love-making evening?" she practically shouted.

"Shhhhhhh!" Blaine looked around to see if anyone was giving the pair of them any strange looks. Luckily, the full force of New York sidewalk traffic had yet to hit, so there were not too many people around to listen to their conversation. "Calm down or I won't tell you and I'll just let you perm my hair!"

"Okay!" she made a zipping motion across her lips and silently waited for Blaine to continue.

He paused a minute, remembering the scene from the night before. "He told me he loved me," he murmured.

"What?" she half jumped out of her seat and flailed her arms around. Blaine gave her a stern look and she sat back down. "Really? Oh Blaine, that's fantastic! What did you say?"

"Nothing," he shrugged.

She looked bewildered, "you didn't say it back?" Blaine shook his head. "Why not? You're crazy about him! How can you not say it back? What's not to like?"

"I don't know! It just didn't feel like the right time. I like him a lot, but I'm not in love with him yet."

Elise waited a few minutes nodding and thinking, "how did he take it?" she asked eventually.

"_So_ well. He was the perfect gentleman about it. He said to only tell him when I was ready and when I really, truly meant it. He said he just wants me to know he loves me with all his heart."

"That man is perfect. You're lucky he's gay," they laughed. "Do you think you will ever love him?" she asked in all seriousness.

"Eventually, I know I can."

"You don't think it's because of… _Kurt, _do you?"

Blaine nodded, "it's just the way it ended. I think I still have a wall up."

"Well," she said getting up, "I guess you're gonna have to fix that then," she walked into the shop. "What's cooking?" she shouted from inside.

"Biscotti in the oven, scone batter in the fridge!" Blaine shouted back. When he didn't hear a reply he assumed she had found it.

He sat there alone for a few minutes thinking about last night. It really was the perfect date. Roses, dinner, wine, chemistry, what could possibly be missing? Blaine shook his head, determined to forget about the awkward portion of the evening and concentrate on the romantic parts. His fingers came to life and began plucking the strings. Whenever he played, he drowned out the entire world, not hearing the cars in the street or the footsteps of people passing by. He let himself get absorbed by the music, and he would ignore any people who stopped to watch. Today was another one of those days when someone stopped to listen to him. Blaine was aware of the other presence but kept his head down and focused on the strings, hoping the guest would go in and buy some coffee.

"You still have that same guitar," the guest remarked.

Blaine wasn't really paying attention to the potential customer but looked up from his strings to politely ask them to go in and try some coffee. When he looked up the words were caught in his throat and his eyes widened in shock and panic, his strumming hand froze, playing out a ringing sour note on his guitar. He was looking up into the most beautifully familiar eyes, his stomach rolled.

"Kurt."

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><p><em>As promised, Kurt!<em>

_Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be up on Monday!  
><em>

~Jess


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:** Here's the next chapter guys! The long awaited arrival of Kurt has come! _

_On another note, thank you so so so much for your wonderful reviews, they really mean a lot to me!_

_Also, I do not own anything Glee related._

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><p>Blaine's throat closed up and a wave of dread washed over him, tightening his chest like it was caught in a vice. He hadn't seen Kurt in over five years, why today? His heart raced and his palms were slippery on the body of his guitar, his stomach clenching unpleasantly. Kurt was supposed to be living in <em>France<em> for crying out loud! Why did he have to come back? Why did he have to look so nice? He aged like a fine wine, beautiful and graceful as ever. His jaw was softly angular and his porcelain skin was still radiant. And his eyes… perfection. His chestnut hair was styled differently, more vertically styled rather than the swoop he wore in high school.

"Blaine, you haven't changed a bit," he smiled taking Blaine in with his eyes, "except the hair, thank God you stopped plastering it with that gel." Typical Kurt, Blaine rolled his eyes.

"You too, still dressing like a prince I see." Kurt made a twirl and Blaine couldn't help as his eyes slid to Kurt's backside. The white pinstriped trousers hugged his hips and thighs making it impossible to look away. He mentally slapped himself as Kurt turned and faced him again. Blaine was impressed, as he usually was at how Kurt dressed and today was no exception. Black combat style boots, those damn tight pants and a black sweater— cashmere, Blaine supposed.

"I designed it myself," Kurt said, bragging in his usual superior tone.

"Bravo," Blaine said trying desperately to keep the panic out of his voice. They stayed there awkwardly looking around and thinking of small talk topics. "I thought you were in Paris!" Blaine blurted, sounding more upset than he intended to.

Kurt must have picked up on it, but he hid it behind his mask and didn't react to it, "I was yes, and now I'm back. Do you work here?" Kurt asked as his eyes came to rest on the apron Blaine wore.

Blaine looked over his shoulder through the front window of the shop and nodded, "yeah, want some coffee?"

Kurt nodded and strutted inside. Blaine watched him go and hurriedly shut his guitar in its case, his hands visibly shaking from the anxiety Kurt's presence caused. He hurried inside and stashed his guitar in the back room. He nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned for the door and saw Elise pulling a bag of coffee filters from a shelf. He placed a hand on his chest and tried to slow his racing heart rate.

"What is with you?" Elise asked, "you look as if you just saw a ghost."

Blaine barked out a breathy laugh and covered his mouth, hoping Kurt hadn't heard it from the front of the counter. Elise looked at him like he was crazy and arched an eyebrow, waiting for an explanation. "Okay," he whispered grabbing her elbow and steering her to the doorway of the back room, "see that guy out there?"

Kurt was looking around the shop with a small smile on his face, "yeah?"

Blaine swallowed hard, "that's Kurt," he breathed.

"What?" she practically shirked. Blaine clamped his hand over her mouth and her eyes bulged out of her skull. She wiggled her fingers under Blaine's shaking hand and pried it off her mouth. "_What_?" she whispered.

"That's Kurt, he's back in New York, he wants to buy coffee. Elise he wants to buy a _coffee_!" Blaine was teetering on the edge of hysterical now. His breathing was erratic, coming in short violent gasps and he was practically ripping the hair out of his head as he ran his fingers through the curls.

"Blaine calm down, he just wants coffee," Elise cooed placing a hand on his arm.

Blaine's entire body was shaking uncontrollably from head to foot to the point where his teeth were chattering with panic. Elise scooped him into a tight hug, Blaine hugged her back, clutching her like she was the only thing that could tether him to the ground. She rubbed soothing circles into his back and Blaine bent his head and buried his face in her shoulder, sucking in deep breaths in a futile attempt to calm down.

"It's okay, why are you this upset?" she whispered in her ear.

Blaine stepped back and looked at her in bewilderment, "he ripped my heart out without any remorse, which may have screwed up _any_ chance of a normal relationship with Nate, and you ask _why_ I am _upset_?" his voice shot up an octave and his cheeks took on a red hue.

Elise planted her hands on her hips, "look, I get he hurt you, but why freak out now? The past is in the past. You guys wanted to try being friends, right?" Blaine nodded. "So this might be the perfect time to get over him once and for all! Maybe you're panicking for nothing and you guys can go back to being best friends," she suggested with a shrug.

Blaine crossed his arms and continued nodding. His breathing slowed, "you're right, you're right. I'm over reacting a bit—"

"A bit?"

"A lot, okay! I just don't want to get hurt again…"

Elise walked up to him and placed her hands on either side of Blaine's face, forcing him to look her directly in the eyes. "Then don't let him, just be friends. Who knows, maybe this is the closure you need." Blaine nodded slightly, "now get out there and get the man his coffee." She gave Blaine a reassuring smile and he smiled back. He ran his hands through his wild curls and took a deep breath. He grabbed a bag of coffee grounds and strode out of the back room like nothing had happened and he hadn't just had a panic attack.

"Quite a quaint little shop you have here, do you own it?" Kurt asked when Blaine came out of the back.

Blaine smiled and set about making the coffee, "no, I don't, E—"

"I am the owner of this shop. Hello, I'm Elise Durand," she came strutting around the corner taking Kurt in as she reached out and grasped his hand.

"Kurt Hummel," he replied shaking her hand, "your shop is delightful," Kurt beamed clasping his hands together.

"Thank you, just opened a couple months ago."

"Is it just you and Blaine who work here?" Kurt asked glancing over at Blaine who was busy trying to look busy and making Kurt's coffee.

"Well, Blaine is the real power house that makes us successful. How do you two know each other?" Elise asked innocently glancing at Blaine.

Kurt smiled and paused for a moment, "we are old high school friends."

Blaine gritted his teeth at that comment, _friends from high school?_ Had any of the time they been together meant _anything_ to Kurt? Could he forget about all the kisses, the dates, and intimate moments they shared so easily? They were each other's first, and all he could say was they were _friends_ from high school? Blaine finished putting together Kurt's coffee and snapped a lid on the cup. He looked up at Kurt who was alone in the shop, admiring the black and white photos on the wall. Elise must have left to give them time to talk. _Damn_ _it_. Why did she feel the need to do that? The last thing Blaine wanted to do was be alone in a room with this familiar stranger. Blaine watched him as he studied the pictures, black and white photographs of famous New York City attractions. His frame was still similar, long arms and a he still had that grace that was present even when he was standing still. The corners of his pink lips turned up when he saw one particular picture, a shot of Blaine and Elise in front of the shop they had taken for an ad in the paper. Blaine wanted to just keep watching the familiar movements this stranger made, and it worried him. Why? Kurt was kind of attractive— scratch that, he was extremely handsome— but looking at him made Blaine's stomach bunch up in knots that were both pleasant and nauseating. _Snap out of it,_ he told himself.

"Coffee is ready," he called over to Kurt. The man started a little, forgetting Blaine was in the room with him. He smiled and sauntered over to the counter taking his wallet out of his tight pants. "Four, twenty-five," Blaine said.

"Actually can I get one of those pieces of biscotti too?" Kurt asked.

"Of course," Blaine replied removing one from the tray under the glass counter and wrapping it in a napkin for Kurt. "Is that all?"

"Yes." Kurt reached out for the extended cookie in Blaine's hand and their fingers bumped, sending a shockwave through Blaine's body.

He quickly retracted his hand, "four, seventy-five."

Kurt reached into his wallet with his long fingers and plucked out a ten dollar bill. "Keep the change," she smiled.

"Thanks," Blaine replied depositing the money in the cash register.

Kurt blew on his scalding coffee, "how long have you been in the city? Are you living here?"

Blaine nodded, "I've been living in an apartment a few blocks away from the shop for a few months now."

Kurt nodded and took a bite of his biscotti. "_Mmmmm_! This is delicious, you bake this?"

"Yeah, I make all the baked goods in here," Blaine replied politely.

The room grew silent as Kurt blew on his coffee and nibbled on his biscotti. Blaine stood there awkwardly, pretending to be interested in the loose threads on his apron. This is exactly the awkward moment Blaine wanted to avoid, and now here he was standing across from someone he had been so close with, and not feeling the ease he used to feel in Kurt's presence. Kurt took a sip of his coffee and smiled. "I don't remember giving you my order," he said with a grin reminiscent to that of the Cheshire Cat in _Alice in Wonderland_.

Blaine froze, eyes widening. "What?"

"I never actually gave you my coffee order," Kurt stated looking up at Blaine.

He could feel all the remaining color in his face drain as he realized his mistake. _Oh God, what did you do! You made him his old coffee order from high school! _He stuttered a moment and fell silent, not sure how to respond. Kurt must really think he is crazy now, how Blaine remembered his exact coffee order and assumed it was still his favorite. He peeked up at Kurt who was snickering at Blaine's embarrassment. Blaine shook his head, "I'm sorry, I could have sworn you ordered."

Kurt bust out giggling and oh, it sounded just like it used to when they were together. The joy lit Kurt's face up, making him look like an angel. He wiped the tears from his eyes and chuckled a bit more. Kurt's laughter cracked Blaine up and he too laughed along with Kurt at his own blunder.

"I can't believe you still remember that!" Kurt gasped in between giggles. He paused, his tongue caught between his lips, trying to stop himself form laughing.

"Grande, non-fat, mocha, latte is still your favorite right?" Blaine asked after he stopped laughing.

Kurt nodded, "and yours is still a medium drip?"

Blaine was stunned, "yeah!" he replied with a grin that stretched from ear to ear.

"We should catch up," Kurt said taking another sip from his coffee.

Blaine shrugged, "I get off work at seven tonight, wanna get dinner?" Blaine asked before he could stop himself.

"I'd like that," Kurt smiled gorgeously, "I'll meet you here around then?"

"Sounds great," Blaine replied with the most genuine smile he could muster.

"See you tonight, Blaine," he said and left the shop.

Blaine stood dumb-founded behind the counter. Why on Earth did he offer to go to dinner with Kurt when not ten minutes before, he had a panic attack about being in the same state as him? He was numbly shaking his head and thinking back to their conversation and didn't notice when Elise came back in.

"Blaine? You're pale, are you alright?" she asked, concern coloring her voice. Blaine nodded without looking up at her. "What happened?"

Blaine waited a moment and replied calmly, "he wants to get together and catch up tonight."

"What did you say?" she asked taking a step closer to the counter separating her from Blaine.

He looked up at her, his gaze numb and dazed, "I said yes."

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><p><em>Thanks a million for reading! Next chapter will be posted on Thursday!<em>

_~Jess_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N:_ Greetings everyone! As promised here's the next chapter. Bear with me because it is a really, really short chapter. The next one, however, is the longest chapter thus far so keep on reading!_

_Once again, I truly appreciate all of your reviews, thank you so much!_

_Aaaaaand of course I do not own anything Glee related.  
><em>

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><p>Blaine had the jitters all morning in anticipation of this dinner with Kurt. He would frequently rotate between dreading the event and wishing he had never agreed to it, and excited to catch up with an old friend. He was jumpy every time someone would walk into the shop, always thinking it was Kurt coming in for their dinner. Several times, Elise had to tell Blaine to calm down that morning and even offered him a cigarette to calm his nerves. He declined, asserting he was perfectly fine.<p>

Nate showed up around noon to spend his lunch break with Blaine. Blaine was in the back room scanning the shelf for a bag of flour. His back was to the door and he did not see Nate as he crept into the room as quietly as he could. He snuck up on Blaine and wrapped him up in his arms. Blaine shrieked and ducked out of Nate's grip, pushing off and skirting around the shelves to get a look at his attacker. He sighed in relief when it was only Nate, who was standing on the other side of the room in bewilderment.

Blaine was breathing fast, being more startled than he should have been. It was only Nathanial for crying out loud! Who did he expect to come into the back room there other than him and Elise? He was letting his nerves get the better of him. "You startled me," Blaine answered the questioning look on his boyfriend's face.

"Sorry," he whispered slowly coming over to Blaine and gently wrapping his arms around his waist. "I didn't mean to scare you," he whispered in Blaine's ear. He nipped the flesh of his ear lobe gently and pressed his lips to Blaine's. What was supposed to be just a peck, turned into a bit more when Nate swiped his tongue across Blaine's bottom lip. Blaine gasped and pressed against Nate's chest, putting some distance in between them.

"Nate! I'm at _work_!" Blaine hissed, hoping Elise was still busy at the counter with customers.

"So?" he asked, his eyebrows arching up wickedly. He pressed Blaine's hips back against the shelf, flattening his body against the shorter man. One hand stayed at his waist, and the other reached up to tangle in Blaine's head of curls. Blaine's hands were flat against Nate's chest, pinned there between their bodies as Nate bent his head and kissed Blaine. Not nearly as chaste as Blaine was used to, their tongues entwining and their bodies were pressed impossibly close together. Nate was breathing against Blaine's lips in hot gasps, his fingers that were once entwined in Blaine's hair had found their way to Blaine's back and were pressing against the small of his back, arching his body into Nate's. The usually, graceful piano fingers Nate played with were greedy and clumsy as he untucked Blaine's shirt from his jeans. Blaine grunted and shoved against Nate's chest, detaching his mouth from Blaine's. His lips traveled to Blaine's neck and he began sucking and nipping his skin. This was too much.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Blaine gasped in Nate's ear.

His busy lips froze on Blaine's neck and he loosened his grip on the bare flesh above his hips where his shirt had ridden up. He looked down at Blaine, "what's wrong?"

"I can't do this," Blaine sighed shoving gently against Nate's chest.

Nathanial pulled back so there was space between them. "Why? What's wrong?"

Blaine gave Nate an exasperated grimace. "What's _wrong_?" he nearly shouted. "I am at _work_! Elise is my friend, but she is _also_ my boss! What if she had walked in on us?"

"We'd let her watch," he growled pressing his lips against Blaine's again. This time Blaine was ready and ripped his lips away.

"No, Nathanial." He shoved against Nate who released Blaine all together and took a step back. Blaine smoothed down his rumpled black button-down shirt and tucked it back into his pants. He ran his fingers through his ruffled curls and patted them down the best he could. Nate was silent, aware that he had crossed a line.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets. Blaine finally looked up and met his eyes. He looked like a sorry little puppy that had just peed on the new carpet. Blaine smiled.

"It's okay," he brushed his fingers along Nate's cheekbone. "Let's just not try that stunt again." Nate nodded. "Now, lunch?"

The pair walked out of the back room, trying to look as innocent as they could. Luckily, Elise was outside, lazily puffing on a cigarette. Nate and Blaine walked down the street, waving to Elise as they passed. They stopped at the sandwich shop they frequented and Nate bought lunch, insisting that after acting like a hormone-crazed teenager at Blaine's workplace, it was the least he could do. They sat down at one of the picnic tables in front of the shop and began eating their lunch.

Blaine was wrestling with himself. Does Nate have to know about his dinner with Kurt? It's not like it was a date or anything. Should he tell him? What will he think? Will he think the worst since he was having a dinner with his first love? He didn't need to know… It was only a meal with an 'old friend from high school' as Kurt would say. But, he'd feel so guilty hanging out with his ex behind Nate's back. That was it, he had to tell him… but how to start that conversation.

"Looks like you have something on your mind," Nathanial observed in between bites of his sandwich. Blaine looked up still debating on whether or not to tell him about his plans. "You're not still pissed are you? I just couldn't help myself and you looked so good and—"

"I'm not angry with you."

Nate looked physically relieved. "Good. So what's on your mind?"

Blaine debated another moment. Relationships were based off trust and honesty right? Lying about something as trivial as this could ruin what he had if Nate found out he was sneaking around with his ex, even if it was only to eat a meal. He had to tell him.

"Well, I ran into someone at the coffee shop today," Blaine began.

"Oh? Who?"

Blaine looked down at his fingers that were clasped together on the table. "Kurt." He was afraid to look up at Nate, he could feel the man's eyes on him, prying for more information. Was he thinking the worst?

After a moment of silence Nate spoke again. "Are you alright?"

Blaine's head shot up as Nate reached a hand across the table to cover Blaine's. He was stunned, instead of thinking the worst happened— i.e. Blaine did Kurt in the back room— he knew how much Kurt hurt Blaine and he genuinely cared for his emotions. Blaine smiled, "I'm fine now. I panicked a little when he first came in though."

"Understandable. Was it awkward?"

"Extremely. But after the initial shock wore off it was alright just talking. He wants to get together and catch up," Blaine looked away from Nate's face, not sure what his reaction would be.

"That's a great idea," Nate smiled.

"What?" once again Nate had shocked Blaine in the course of five minutes.

"Yeah, you two should catch up. You haven't seen each other in years and you used to be friends," he shrugged, "maybe you guys can be friends again."

"Yeah, that's what Elise thought too," Blaine was flabbergasted.

"So when are you two going to get together?"

"Umm, we were going to get dinner tonight if you didn't have anything planned for you and I."

"Sounds great." Nate gave a genuine smile.

Blaine was just so confused, weren't guys supposed to hate it when you talked to your ex? Weren't they supposed to forbid you from seeing them? "So you're okay with this?" Blaine had to ask.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"He's my ex…"

He shrugged and entwined their fingers together, "I trust you."

Blaine's heart melted and a smile tickled the corner of his lips, "have I ever told you how perfect you are?"

Nate grinned, his smile fanning the creases in the corners of his eyes, "you could stand to say it more often."

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><p><em>Sorry that was kind of short, the next one is longer I promise!<em>

_Thank you for reading! Next chapter will be posted on Monday!_

_~ Jess_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:** Good day everyone, here's the next chapter as promised. And as I also promised, it is the longest chapter so far. Thanks for your support_ _and enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related._

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><p>Nathanial walked Blaine back to the coffee shop after they both finished eating their lunch. Usually, they did not walk hand-in-hand because as a gay couple, they would get dirty looks but today, Blaine reached out and entwined their fingers together as they walked. The corners of Nate's lips twitched up and he swung their hands between them. They rounded the corner and walked into the coffee shop, both smiling at Elise who was behind the counter staring off into space since the shop was empty— business around lunch time is usually pretty slow. She beamed when the two of them walked in the shop and she went into the back room to give them some privacy. Nate pulled Blaine into his arms and planted a chaste kiss on his lips.<p>

"Have fun tonight, sweetheart."

Blaine smiled, "thank you. I'll tell you about it over lunch tomorrow?"

"Sounds perfect to me," he kissed Blaine once more. "I love you." Blaine smiled a bit more and Nate released him and walked out the door. Blaine went over to the window and watched him stride down the street. Blaine didn't even hear when Elise walked back into the room.

"You still won't say it back?"

"It's only a day after he said it. I need time!" Blaine fired back finally taking his eyes off the window.

"Boy, the way you look at him you could have fooled me," Elise snickered returning to behind the counter and dumping the rest of the stale scones in the trash.

"Well," Blaine said coming over to help her, "no one asked you."

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><p>The rest of the day rushed by much faster than Blaine would have liked. He hoped it would last a bit longer, but unfortunately 7PM was fast approaching. The shop closed at 6:30 and Blaine was taking his time to close up shop. Elise had to tell him several times to pick up the pace or he wouldn't get out on time, but that was Blaine's plan. Maybe if he stalled enough and didn't get out at 7:00, Kurt would be too impatient and just leave. That wasn't like Kurt though, he was always punctual and he always followed through on his promises; well, most of his promises. Elise realized at quarter to seven that Blaine was purposefully taking longer than usual to close shop and she doubled her efforts to counteract Blaine's.<p>

"Jesus Blaine!" she shouted throwing the dishrag into the sink. "Taking your sweet old time won't make Kurt go away! I'd bodily shove you out that damn door at seven o'clock if you were covered in coffee or dying of a flesh wound! You are going to that dinner whether you like it or not!" Blaine paused, staring open-mouthed at his best friend. "Look," she said, her voice returning to its normal volume and tone, "I've listened to how you talk about Kurt, and I know that he hurt you. I'm not saying to get together again with him or anything, I just want you to get closure. You owe it to yourself and Nate to get that. And if it does work out and you want to get back together with him, I—"

"No!" Blaine cried thrusting himself off the counter he was sitting on and walking over to Elise. "I can't go back to him after what he did to me."

"It isn't like he cheated on you or anything, Blaine. He just broke up with you. You said it yourself, it was going to happen because of the distance. Now that you're in New York, maybe it will all work out."

"It didn't work out because he didn't _try_," Blaine had tears welling up in his eyes. "He didn't fucking _try_! I was always there for him, building our relationship and his confidence, I never stopped. Then he went and broke me. He broke me like a pair of God damn knock-off Gucci shoes!"

Elise smiled at his metaphor, "which is exactly why it's going to take more than some super glue to fix you. This closure is what you need." Blaine wiped his eyes on the back of his hand and nodded. Elise is right, she is always right. "Now get that cute little ass of yours into the bathroom and fix your hair." Blaine nodded and scurried to the bathroom.

He closed the door behind him and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He always manages to get flour in his hair and today was no exception. He turned the cold water on and splashed his face a few times, clearing his head. He toweled off and tried to wipe out as much flour as he could. He was tempted to just stick his head under the faucet, but decided against it because he had no hair gel to tame the curls when they started drying. _Gel_. What he wouldn't give to have a tub of that stuff right now. Thinking about it he stuff made him want to shellac his hair like he used to in school… He poked his head from around the door. "Hey Elise, do you have any hair gel?"

"Absolutely not. I've seen those pictures of you in high school!"

_Damn_. Plastering his curls was out of the question. Why did he care what his hair looked like? It was a casual dinner. Why did he feel the need to look perfect for Kurt? Blaine just attributed it to the nerves. Old habits die hard. He just had to make due with what he had and that was water and paper towels. Kurt would be mortified if that was all he had to get ready with. Blaine chucked to himself as he set about patting his dry curls into place. They were just about as smooth as they were ever going to be and he washed his hands. He was just about to run his fingers through his hair when Elise's voice came through the door.

"B, he's here," she whispered. He froze a moment, his heart racing a mile a minute. "Blaine?" He burst through the door, his face white as a sheet. "Oh for God's sake Blaine," she chided reaching up and pinching both his cheeks to give them some color. "You'll be fine." Blaine nodded again, taking deep breaths to slow his heaving chest. Elise nodded to him and he came out of the back and emerged behind the counter.

Kurt was standing in the coffee shop, looking around at all the chairs that were turned up on the tables. "Hey, Kurt," Blaine said as calmly as he could.

Kurt's head snapped around to look at Blaine, a smile warming his face. "Hello, Blaine. Are you ready to go?" Blaine nodded coming around the corner. Kurt looked him up and down, observing his attire. "Are you planning on wearing that apron to dinner?"

Blaine could feel his cheeks grow hot as he looked down at himself. "And if I was?" he asked, his voice raising an octave.

"I'd ask you to wear a paper bag on your head too," Kurt smiled. Blaine untied the apron and flung it over the counter. Miraculously he didn't spill anything on his black sweater or gray slacks today and he smiled at that accomplishment. "Much better," Kurt agreed.

"I still like the apron, it really brought out my eyes," Blaine said fluttering his long black lashes.

"If you say so," Kurt sighed with a delicate shrug.

"I'll see you tomorrow Elise!" Blaine called into the back room. Elise mumbled something in return, but Blaine didn't quite catch it. "Shall we?" he gestured to the door. Kurt nodded and the pair of them left the shop. Kurt thrust his hand in the air and hailed a taxi for the pair of them.

Once inside, he gave an address to the cab driver and they settled in for the ride. Blaine and Kurt sat on opposite sides of the seat, as far away from each other as physically possible in the tight cab. After a few moments of tense silence Blaine asked, "so, where are we going?"

Kurt uncrossed his legs and replied, "one of my favorite casual restaurants. We are about five minutes away."

Blaine nodded and they fell back into silence. From the corner of his eye, Blaine could watch Kurt's movements; the way he crossed his legs and rested his chin delicately on his hand. He was dressed in the same outfit he had on this morning, those pants still hugging his legs like a second skin. His eyes were focused on the city as it rushed by, a dreamy expression painted across his face. His crystal blue eyes glinted with the street lamps that lit the spring evening. The last of the orange sun was dipping below the skyscrapers and it painted the white of Kurt's face a creamy orange color, making his flawless skin glow. Blaine tilted his head as he stared at Kurt, he really hadn't changed all that much, except for just aging a few years.

"Is there something on my face?" Kurt asked without looking away from his window. _Crap_. Why did he have to stare so obviously? More color touched his cheeks as his brain flailed for a response.

"N-No. I was just thinking how you have hardly changed since I last saw you," Blaine sputtered.

"So I still look like a teenage boy?" Kurt inquired facing Blaine and raising an eyebrow.

"No, no. That's not what I meant at all. I was just— I mean you— You are—"

"Blaine relax, I get what you meant," he uttered a small giggle. "You still look the same too, except the hair. But I'm glad you changed that."

"Me too," Blaine replied. "That gel gets expensive when you're paying for it on your own."

Kurt scoffed, "oh please Blaine, that gel is nothing compared to what I pay for my hair to look this good," he said fluttering his hand around his head, afraid to touch it. "And don't get me started on my newest moisturizing routine."

"Noted," Blaine smirked.

The cab rolled up in front of a small restaurant and the two men got out. Blaine reached for his wallet but before he pulled it out, Kurt was already getting his change from the driver. "Don't worry about it, Blaine." He thanked the driver and he and Blaine crossed the street. They went into the restaurant and waited for the hostess. She was a spritely blonde who eyed Blaine as she approached the pair. "Table for two?" she asked flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder and blinking her lashes more than physically necessary. Blaine nodded and smiled and she led them into the dining room. She came to a small table in the corner of the restaurant away from most of the other chatter going on and left for the kitchen. Blaine hesitated, fighting the urge to pull Kurt's chair out for him like he had done hundreds of times before. Kurt removed his jacket and slung it over a chair before gracefully seating himself. Blaine took the seat directly across from him. Kurt sighed and flipped through the menu quickly before setting it down.

"That was fast," Blaine noted without looking up from his menu.

"It's one of my favorite restaurants," Kurt replied crossing his legs and folding his hands in front of him on the table.

"Do you have any recommendations?" Blaine asked, eyes flicking up to look at Kurt.

Kurt paused a moment, his tongue sticking out between his lips just like he used to when he was thinking. "The seafood medley with roast vegetables is divine," Kurt gushed.

Blaine shrugged, "sounds good to me." He smiled.

The blonde waitress came back to the table, "are y'all ready to order?" she asked playing up her southern accent. Kurt and Blaine nodded. "Can I start you off with something to drink?"

Kurt glanced at the drink menu, "I'll have an appletini." he replied looking up at the waitress.

The blonde bobbed her head as she scribbled something down on her notepad, "and what can I get you, darlin'?" she asked Blaine.

Blaine glanced at the menu, "I'll take a dirty martini up."

The waitress nodded again, recording Blaine's drink order on her note pad. "Alrighty, I'll be back with your drinks in a few," she winked at Blaine before she sashayed away.

Kurt giggled, trying to cover his mouth with his hand. "seems like you're still quite the ladies' man," he snickered.

"It's a gift," he shrugged.

"She was flirting worse than Rachel used to."

"She's barking up the wrong tree," Blaine laughed.

"You should have let me dress you, you'd never have people guessing your sexuality if you dressed like me," Kurt said smoothing his hands down the thighs of his pants.

"I don't think I could handle dressing as fabulously as you, Kurt"

Kurt mused over that statement, letting his eyes drift along the ceiling. "No I suppose not." The two of them laughed for a while before a still silence enveloped the table.

"So what have you been up to? I heard you starred in some musicals?" Blaine asked resting his chin on his hand.

"I wouldn't say _starred_. Where did you hear that?"

"Word travels fast in Ohio."

"That is true," Kurt conceded. "I haven't had my big break-out role just yet. I've had small roles in four shows, but nothing spectacular."

"What do you do in between shows?" Blaine inquired.

The waitress came back to the table with their drinks. She set napkins down and gently placed their martinis on the table. She pulled out her note pad, "are you ready to order?"

"I'm all set if you are?" Blaine asked Kurt.

Kurt nodded, "I will have the Caesar salad, light on the dressing."

"Caesar salad," the waitress mumbled to herself, "and what can I get for you, handsome?"

Blaine flashed her a disarming smile. "I will take the seafood medley."

"Seafood medley. Okay," she reached across the table to take their menus, lingering over Blaine much longer than was necessary. Blaine bit his lip to keep from laughing and Kurt had his lips clamped together, but his shoulders were vibrating with laughter regardless. When she disappeared around the partition both men burst out laughing.

Blaine was wiping tears out of his eyes by the time they both calmed down. "I guess you were right."

"I know," Kurt replied shortly.

"So, like I was saying before she came by, what have you been up to other than the shows?"

Kurt re-crossed his legs and settled in for the conversation. "Well, when I'm not doing shows, I have been working for an independent fashion label doing some design work."

"Oh wow," Blaine said. "Sounds exciting."

"It really is. I went to Paris for six months for some fashion shows to do some networking and to get some inspiration for designs."

"Did you like it?"

"Like it? I _adore_ Paris!" Kurt trilled. "Oh, Blaine you would love it too. The architecture is just breath-taking and the food is exquisite. They have music all along the streets and the Eiffel Tower is just stunning!"

Blaine smiled remembering how he and Kurt used to talk of going to Paris together. He glanced down at his lap, fiddling with the napkin spread across his knees. "We used to talk all the time about going one day."

Kurt's smile fell, as if he was dreading the past from being mentioned. "I know," he muttered. "Look, Blaine. I'm really sorr—"

Blaine held up a hand. "Kurt, there is no need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong." _You just ripped my heart out, _Blaine thought sourly to himself.

"We just grew apart," Kurt stated. _More like you grew apart, _the voice in Blaine's head retorted. They fell into an awkward silence again, neither knowing how to continue after the hic-up in their conversation. They sipped their drinks and nibbled on the rolls that had gone untouched until the lull in conversation. Thankfully, the flirty waitress came to the table and gave them their food so they had a reason to keep quiet. They ate half of their meal in silence.

"So," Kurt began as he skewered lettuce with his fork, "What have you been up to since we last talked? Did you graduate, how do you like New York, have you met any new friends?"

Blaine paused, not sure how to begin. Telling your ex about how them breaking up with you completely crushed your soul and your dreams isn't exactly on the top of anyone's to-do list. He pushed a piece of calamari around his plate with his fork. "Where would you like me to start?" he asked because frankly, he was clueless.

"How about school?" Kurt suggested taking a dainty sip of his drink.

Damn. Not the part he wanted to start with. "Well," Blaine reluctantly began, "I went back to Ohio after sophomore year and I decided that the whole acting thing was not working out for me."

"Did you go to school in Ohio?"

Blaine gave a bitter smile. "No. I formally withdrew from school in California and I didn't transfer anywhere."

Kurt watched Blaine as he uncomfortably recounted life post-break-up. He tilted his head to the side and listened, spurring Blaine on with positive glances and reassuring smiles. Blaine wasn't having any of it though. He hardly talked about his school failure to anyone, let alone the cause of it. When Blaine stopped talking and began eating his medley again Kurt prodded him to keep going, "so if school didn't work out, what did you do? Something with music, I assume?"

Blaine cast his eyes down at his plate, refusing to look up at Kurt. "No. I hadn't played until I came to the city. While I was in Ohio," he paused, not wanting to admit this part, "I lived with my parents and worked in my father's office." _I sound like such a loser, _Blaine thought gritting his teeth. _He's off doing all this exciting stuff and I was a bum living off my parents. He really wasn't affected by our break-up at all…_ Blaine's thoughts were raging, spewing self-doubt and pessimism all over his confidence. He glanced up at Kurt, whose brow was furrowed in thought. When he caught his eye, Kurt perked right up, smiling a false smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Kurt cleared his throat, "so why did you decide to come to the city?"

Blaine felt better answering this question, "I just thought since it didn't work out on the west coast, I would try the east coast. I just decided one day I needed to get the hell out of Ohio."

"I know the feeling," Kurt laughed.

Blaine smiled too, "I love the city. It's just so full of life and excitement."

"LA wasn't exciting?" Kurt asked.

"Don't get me wrong, it is a great place to visit. It's just not my cup of tea to actually _live_ there. Here I feel home, as cheesy as it sounds."

Kurt beamed, "this city _is_ magnificent." He nibbled on another lettuce leaf. "I saw you playing your guitar this morning before work, does that mean you're getting back into music?"

Blaine shrugged his shoulders and swallowed the mouthful of food he was eating. "I've preformed at a few bar shows, but nothing too serious. It feels good to get back into it after so many years of neglecting it."

Kurt nodded in understanding. The silence that followed was considerably less awkward as they both finished their meals. The waitress came by again and took their plates away and refilled their drinks. They chatted about New York for a bit, the attractions, the shows, and Kurt recommended several stores and restaurants to try. Blaine felt at ease talking to Kurt like this, just casual chit-chat; none of the embarrassing stuff from his past that he hated admitting to anyone. He didn't bring up the past anymore and neither did Kurt. The waitress dropped off their check and Kurt swiped it off the table before Blaine had the chance to look at it. He began to protest but Kurt held up a hand.

"Blaine after all the times you paid for dinner, this is the least I can do," He placed a shiny credit card in the folder with the receipt and handed it to the waitress as she passed by. Blaine thanked him and sipped on his drink a bit more. "So, I see that you are close with Elise, but have you met anyone else since coming to the city?" Kurt asked.

"Not too many people, just a few of Elise's friends and people I have talked to at my shows," Blaine replied, purposefully neglecting to mention Nate. It shouldn't be awkward for him to talk about his new boyfriend with Kurt, but he felt the need to keep it to himself.

"It's strange coming to a big city at first and meeting all these new people. Are you seeing anyone?" Kurt asked arching a perfect eyebrow.

Blaine's heart skipped a beat. He was trying to avoid talking about Nate, but there was no way around it now. "Well, Elise set me up on a few blind dates with a couple of her friends but nothing really serious until Nathanial."

Kurt's eyes lit up, he looked happy? _Weird, _Blaine thought. He didn't expect anything to happen with him, but he didn't expect Kurt to be quite so excited with his love life. "That's fantastic," Kurt said enthusiastically, clapping his hands together. "What's he like? How long have you been dating?"

"A little over a month. You'd like him Kurt, he is really into fashion and he is a fantastic musician and writer," Blaine smiled.

"He sounds like quite a catch," Kurt replied. The waitress came back to their table and handed Kurt the receipt and his card. He signed the slip of paper and thanked the waitress for her hospitality.

Blaine didn't quite want to leave yet because he just wanted to chat with his friend some more. "So, are you seeing someone?" he asked as casually as Kurt did.

Kurt paused and his cheeks turned red. _Is he blushing? _Blaine questioned. "Well," Kurt began as he swirled his drink around in his glass. Blaine brought his own glass to his lips and sipped his martini. "Actually, I'm engaged." Kurt finished. Blaine's throat closed and the alcohol from his drink burned his wind-pipe. He coughed and sputtered, unable to hide his shock from Kurt who was not meeting his stunned expression. Blaine coughed and cleared his throat in a desperate attempt to regain his composure.

He wiped his mouth on his napkin and cleared his throat as delicately as he could, "that's great, Kurt! Congratulations!" Blaine exclaimed trying to sound as chipper as he could while inside he was screaming. "Who is the lucky man?"

Kurt still didn't look up from his drink, "his name's Glen."

Blaine couldn't help himself from asking one last question, "how long have you been seeing each other?"

Kurt paused, clearly uncomfortable with the question. Blaine was dreading the answer and wishing for it both at the same time. He had to know. Kurt shifted in his seat and slammed back the rest of his drink in one gulp. He set the empty glass down on the table, "five years," he said.

Blaine's stomach dropped out from under him. Five years. He bit back tears. Five years. He reached for his drink with a shaking hand and swallowed the rest of it in two big gulps. _Five years_. That meant that this Glen guy was the man he left Blaine for. Blaine put on the fakest smile he had ever worn in his life. "Wow, that is really nice. How long have you been engaged?"

Again Kurt was uncomfortable but this time, he had no alcohol to drink. "Glen came to Paris with me and proposed under the Eifel Tower."

Blaine clenched his jaw and yearned for a strong drink, "how romantic," he said as pleasantly as he could. This hit Blaine hard. He had planned his proposal to Kurt dozens of times over. They would graduate college and he would move to New York and they would go to Paris for a celebratory vacation. He would buy him a ring and get down on one knee in at the top of the Eiffel Tower and ask Kurt to be his forever. A pang of hurt gripped his chest, and it was all he could do not to bust out in tears. Why was this hitting him so hard? They hadn't been together for _five_ years. He was happy with Nate. He glanced at Kurt's left hand which Kurt had been conveniently kept hidden most of the evening by folding his right hand over his left. Encircling his ring finger was a thin white-gold band inlaid with two small diamonds.

Kurt saw Blaine's eyes resting on his hand and he pulled it away and hid it under the table. "It is getting pretty late, the restaurant will be closing soon," Kurt murmured.

Blaine nodded and put on another forced smile. "I guess we better head out then." Blaine reached in his wallet and placed a generous tip on the table before following Kurt outside. They stood there for a while and Kurt slid his arms back into his jacket. He hailed a taxi and one pulled up to the curb. He turned to Blaine and smiled.

"It was great catching up, Blaine. We should do this again sometime," his smile was genuine.

"That would be wonderful," Blaine said matching Kurt's enthusiasm. "Maybe we can double date sometime?"

"A brilliant idea!" Kurt said beaming and clasping his hands together in front of him. "I'll keep in touch. Goodnight, Blaine." He leaned over and hugged Blaine around the shoulders. Blaine slid his arms around Kurt's waist, pressing his face into his shoulder. Butterflies in his stomach shuddered to life.

"See you later, Kurt," he muttered into his shoulder. They parted and Kurt climbed into the taxi and gave his directions to the cab driver. Blaine watched him go, waving at the cab as it sped away into the night.

He stood on the curb for a minute, feeling numb. He raised an arm and hailed his own cab. He flung himself down inside and spewed directions to the man behind the wheel. He wasn't really paying attention. _He's engaged_. Of course it was bound to happen eventually, but to the man he left Blaine for? That was an unexpected slap in the face to Blaine. Kurt's life was perfect while Blaine was barely making ends-meet and in a relationship where something was missing and he couldn't put his finger on what. Blaine wrapped his arms around himself and bit back the tears that were threatening to spill over. Before he realized where he was, the cab driver pulled over to the curb and demanded his money. Blaine thrust the bills into his hand and ran out of the cab and up to the door of the apartment complex. He ran through the lobby and up the stairs. He needed this right now. He sprinted down the hallway and came to the last door on the right. He pounded as hard as he possibly could with his fist, the other arm wrapped around his stomach, holding himself together.

"Elise," he cried "please open the door! It's me!"

There was a scrambling and the sound of running from the other side of the door and it flew open while Blaine was mid-knock. Elise saw the expression on Blaine's face. "Oh, God."

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><p><em>Thank you kindly for reading! Next chapter shall be posted this Thursday!<em>

_~ Jess_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:**__It's Thursday and as always I have another chapter for you! Thanks for reading, thank you all for the reviews, and enjoy!_

_Glee related stuff? Nope, I don't own any __of that._

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><p>Blaine wrapped both arms around himself and collapsed into Elise's arms in the doorway of her small apartment. She hugged as tight as possible, pulling him with her into the apartment and slamming the door behind her. Quickly skirting the island in the kitchen, she made her way to the living room where she threw their bodies onto the couch. Blaine wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder, sobs racking his body. Tears soaked into Elise's nightshirt, salt water blossoming across her shoulder. She rubbed soothing circles on his back in between his shoulder blades, not speaking, she just let him cry himself dry on her shoulder. He needed this, he needed to get all of this out all at once. His chest was heaving and his whole body was trembling before the tears ebbed. He pulled away and they were still trickling down his face, but the sobbing had stopped. Elise raised a hand and gently wiped the tears away with the tips of her fingers. She combed her fingers through his hair and let her hand rest on the back of his neck.<p>

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked quietly, stroking his neck.

Blaine sniffed and nodded, "do you have any ice cream?" he croaked, his voice rough. Elise laughed and strolled back into the kitchen. She returned to the sofa with a gallon of chocolate fudge ice cream, two spoons, and a box of tissues. She plopped down on the couch, tossing the box of tissues in him lap. He took up the box and blew his nose noisily, sniffled, and wiped the rest of the tears and salt off his face. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He could feel Elise staring at him, waiting patiently for an explanation. He reached over, snatching the spoon from her grasp and scooped a huge spoonful of chocolate ice cream. He stuck it in his mouth, the cold of the dessert cooling his tongue. Ice cream really does heal everything. He licked the spoon clean and stuck it back in the gallon.

"Hey, who said you could double-dip?" Elise asked hitting the back of his hand with her spoon. Blaine's lips cracked, the corners turning up a little. "That's better," she said smiling. "What happened, honey?"

Blaine looked down at the spoon in his hand. He scooped more ice cream out, reluctant to relive that nightmare. He sighed, a mouthful of ice cream rested on his tongue, numbing it. He swallowed hard, "he's engaged," Blaine rasped, "to the man he left me for five years ago." Elise clapped a hand over her mouth as tears welled up and spilled over Blaine's face again.

"Oh, Blaine!" Elise stretched out and wrapped him in her arms again. Blaine didn't sob this time, though silent tears spilled down his face.

"I expected him to have seen people or maybe even be married," Blaine muttered against her shoulder. "But to be engaged to the guy he _left_ me for?" he shook his head. "It just hurts. If I could have saved us, that would be me. _We_ would be engaged. He took Kurt to _Paris_ to propose!" he wailed. "That had been my plan since I was seventeen!" he began sobbing again. "What did I do wrong Elise? Why did _he_ get Kurt? Why is he so happy and I've been miserable for five years?" Blaine asked all the questions he knew no one had the answers to, but he needed those answers to keep his sanity. "What did I do wrong?" he whispered.

"Nothing, B. You did nothing wrong. You didn't drive Kurt into the arms of another guy. You grew apart. It happens," she said petting his head.

"This shouldn't hurt, Elise. I got over him. I have Nate now."

"_Are_ you over him?" she asked pulling away and arching an eyebrow.

He forcefully cleared his throat, "yes." He dug his spoon into the ice cream.

Elise looked at Blaine who was now fuming on the couch, hurt turning to blistering anger. "You're sure?"

"Positive," he barked stuffing ice cream into his mouth.

"Then why do you care? If you really are over him, why are you here crying on my couch and eating my ice cream?" Blaine paused, mouth open. _Why am I so upset about this? _He shook his head and ate more ice cream, glaring at the coffee table. "Maybe it's your pride?" Elise suggested.

Blaine shrugged, "maybe." _My pride? Is it because I lost? Am I upset just because I lost Kurt to Glen? That has to be the reason… Why else would I be upset?_ He nodded more, harshly laughing at himself for being so stupid. Not everything in his life was like competing for solos as he did when he was in show choir.

"So other than the engagement thing, how did it go?" Elise asked dipping her spoon into the ice cream.

"It was alright for the most part," he shrugged, "it got a bit awkward at some points when I had to tell him about dropping out of school and stuff. Other than that it was nice, he wants to try and just be friends. We are going to double date at some point."

"Sounds good," she chirped, afraid to elaborate in case Blaine was still upset.

"It is I guess. You're right about the closure thing I think. It felt good to talk to Kurt again after all this time."

She beamed, "I am _always_ right, you should know this by now."

"Yeah, yeah. I should get going," Blaine groaned putting his spoon back on the table.

"Oh, no you're not. You're just going to go home and dwell on this and get upset over it all over again. No, you're staying the night with me tonight," she commanded crossing her arms.

"And I'm just going to wear these clothes again tomorrow?" Blaine asked standing and putting his hands on his hips.

"Don't be stupid, you have clothes here from the last time you stayed over. Go pick out a movie to watch and we'll finish the rest of this ice cream," she smiled up at Blaine with a warm grin.

Blaine grinned and laughed, "I love you, you know that?"

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><p>Blaine and Elise dragged into work the next morning, opening the shop and laughing about their sleep-over the night before. Blaine's mood improved since he had the heart-to heart with Elise. He chalked up his panic attack to his hurt pride over losing Kurt to Glen and not over still having feelings for his ex. He and Elise opened the shop together even though it was usually Blaine's job. He had left his guitar at the shop overnight and after they finished opening, he sat at one of the tables inside and played for Elise. It was pouring outside, the sky dark and overcast as pregnant, black clouds swirled and dumped their contents on the city. It looked like it was going to be a slow day. They had to deal with a huge throng of people in the morning as people made their way to work but once that died out, there was no one to serve. Blaine liked days like this, rainy days where he got paid to just wait for customers and play his guitar. He loved talking to the customers, but the quiet was nice for a change.<p>

Around noon, Nate came to the shop with lunch for three. Blaine recounted the pleasant points from his dinner with Kurt and neglected to mention his break-down and the sleep-over with Elise. Nate agreed that the dinner was successful and he was optimistic about Blaine and Kurt being friends again. Nate left at quarter to one, giving Blaine a swift kiss goodbye, and Blaine went back to playing his guitar.

He was in the back room passing the time by reorganizing shelves thirty minutes later when he heard the chime on the door ring. Elise stalked into the room and eyed Blaine as he mused over where to put the coffee filters. He looked over his shoulder at his boss, "do you have any idea where the other bag of filters is? I could have sworn we had an opened bag in here." She lingered in the doorway looking uncomfortable. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Kurt's here," she mumbled leaning in the door frame. Blaine snapped his head around and his stomach knotted. _Relax, it's just Kurt_, he told himself. He took a deep breath and stowed the filters on a shelf. He walked past Elise and into the shop.

"Hi, Kurt!" he greeted his friend cheerily.

Kurt looked taken aback by his positivity, "hey Blaine."

"Here for some coffee?" Blaine asked getting a cup out and starting Kurt's order.

"Yeah, I'm here on my lunch break and I needed something hot to drink, this weather is ghastly," he groaned wrapping his red sweater more tightly around himself. Blaine smiled and glanced at the rest of his wardrobe. Red sweater, red and blue striped shirt, black trousers that hugged his hips, and black knee high boots.

"I remember you wearing those boots in school," Blaine said stirring sweetener into Kurt's coffee. Kurt looked down at his boots and up at Blaine in horror.

"You most certainly did not!" he nearly shrieked. "These are straight of the runway from my favorite spring line! Those boots I wore back in high school are so old and tired they could be my grandfather."

Blaine chuckled and rang Kurt's order up, he threw in a biscotti with his coffee order. Blaine and Kurt went over to one of the tables as Kurt sipped his coffee. "Did you want to go out to lunch and get something to eat?" Kurt asked.

Blaine shook his head, "Nathanial just left, we eat lunch together every day."

Kurt's jaw tightened and he gave a stiff smile, "that is adorable," he cooed. "Glen never has time to just get lunch. He's so busy at his law firm."

"He works at a firm?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shook his head and swallowed a mouthful of coffee, "he owns one."

Blaine propped his chin up on his hand, "impressive. I never took you for a businessman's man."

Kurt sucked in his cheeks, unsure how to respond for a minute. Blaine smiled, feeling satisfied he had made Kurt feel awkward for a change. Kurt gave a prissy smile, "we balance each other very well. He's the business and I'm the pleasure." Blaine was frozen a moment at how Kurt said that with a perfectly straight face, completely serious. Kurt's face broke into a full-fledged smile and he started laughing loudly at Blaine's reaction. Blaine shook it off and gave a few forced chuckles. "I was joking, Blaine," he snickered. "You should have seen the look on your face!" Blaine laughed with Kurt, relieved he wasn't actually serious. "In all seriousness though," Kurt said after he had calmed down. "We balance each other very nicely. And he lets me dress him, which is fantastic."

Blaine smiled, "I haven't been up on fashion like I used to be."

Kurt looked Blaine up and down with a sour look on his face. "Yes, I can see that."

Blaine looked down at himself "I'm at work, not walking the runway!"

"That's _no_ excuse to be wearing a brown shirt and black shoes," Kurt griped.

"Okay, so maybe I've been a little neglectful towards fashion trends—"

"Blaine, you don't have to be a fashion expert to know that a brown shirt and black shoes are _never_ good together. You really are slipping." Blaine nodded. "Oh! I have the best idea to fix your fashion ignorance!" Kurt beamed.

"I wouldn't call it ignorance…"

"You are fooling no one with that bull, Mr. Anderson."

"Well how do you plan on educating me in the ways of fashion oh all-knowing one?"

"There's a small fashion show I have to attend tomorrow night. Just to check out the competition and mingle with some big name people in the business. You should come with me!" Kurt exclaimed bouncing lightly in his seat.

Tomorrow was Friday, and Blaine usually went out with Nate on Friday nights. He mulled it over, "Kurt, I don't know…"

"Come on Blaine! It will be incredible, you'll love it!"

Blaine sighed, "but I don't have anything to wear," he complained.

Kurt tapped a finger on his chin, thinking for a moment. "Shopping! I'll take you shopping! Oh, please Blaine? Please, please, _please_?"

Blaine protested, "Kurt—"

"Blaine Anderson, don't make me get down on my knees in these designer pants and beg. Let me take you shopping." Kurt looked into Blaine's hazel eyes, his ice blue eyes piercing into him. Blaine felt the knot in his stomach again. Kurt's gaze pleaded with Blaine, like a puppy begging for his supper.

"Fine!" Blaine sighed throwing his arms up in defeat.

Kurt clapped enthusiastically and bounced out of his chair to his feet. "Oh this is so exciting! I'll come by tomorrow same time and we can go shopping, can you get the afternoon off?"

Blaine called into the back room, "Elise?"

She peaked her head around the corner, "of course you can!" she chimed before disappearing into the back room.

"Excellent!" Kurt squealed, "this is going to be so much fun!"

Blaine chuckled, "we'll see about that."

"Don't doubt me, Blaine. I love a good challenge."

"I wouldn't dream of doubting you," he said bowing his head. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You will, indeed," Kurt smiled before snatching up his coffee and strutting out of the shop.

"Well, what do you make of that Elise?" Blaine called into the back, fully aware that she was carefully listening to the entire conversation.

She peered around the corner again, "looks like you're going shoppin'!"

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><p><em>Thank you very much for reading! Stay tuned, next chapter will be posted Monday!<em>

~ _Jess_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: **Hi everyone! Here is the next chapter for you all! Thank you for all your support and reviews, and as always thank you so very much for reading!_ _Enjoy!_

_I still don't own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this story._

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><p>Blaine rolled over and pounded his alarm as it blared. He groaned and rolled over, not wanting to start this day. He's going to go shopping with Kurt. He used to love shopping with Kurt, but back then they were together and he loved anything they did together. He hasn't been shopping for real in years, whenever he went clothes shopping, he just got polos and button down shirts, nothing too fancy. Any fancy clothes he did wear he has had for years and Kurt would slap him if he saw his closet. He dressed in simple black jeans and a blue button-down shirt, making sure to wear black shoes to go with his black pants. He left his guitar at his apartment since he wasn't working for the whole day and locked his door before he began the short walk to work. He still had to tell Nate he was going out with Kurt again. What will he say? Will he be upset that he's seen him so much in the last two days? Blaine hoped he didn't have anything too elaborate planned for them that night. When Blaine got to the shop, Elise was outside smoking a cigarette glaring at the sidewalk.<p>

"You're in early," Blaine said with a grin as he sat down at the table with Elise.

She looked up at him and took a long drag on her cigarette. "I'm not so sure this is such a good idea," she admitted blowing smoke out her nostrils.

"You're right, smoking kills, Elise. I keep saying you need to quit," Blaine replied clasping his hands in his lap. He knew her smoking habits weren't what she was referring to.

She sighed and rubbed the butt of her cigarette out on the sidewalk. "That's not what I was talking about and you know it. I meant this whole date planned with Kurt."

Blaine was taken aback, "Elise, it isn't a date—"

"Not formally no it isn't. I'm just worried about you."

Blaine came over to her bench and sat next to her, "why are you worrying about me?" he asked slipping an arm around her shoulders.

She turned her head to face him. "I listened to you yesterday when you were talking to Kurt," she admitted.

"Well I expected you to do that," he chuckled.

"I'm serious Blaine. I'm worried for you," he raised an eyebrow waiting for an explanation. She sighed and continued, "you obviously cared a lot about Kurt. He was your first love and I totally get that. I just want you to be careful, okay? Don't let yourself get too close to him—"

"You're the one who was pushing me to hang out with him to get some closure! I think it's working! After how easy it was to just talk to Kurt and make normal plans, I think he and I can be friends again," Blaine asserted, getting a little irritated.

"I know this is exactly what I suggested. I'm just saying to be careful and don't let yourself fall for him again."

"Elise I am _over_ Kurt," Blaine spat trying to get it into her head.

"Is that why you were practically falling apart in my doorway Wednesday night after you found out he was engaged?" she asked crossing her arms. When she put it like that, maybe she had a point. Perhaps there were some unresolved feelings that Blaine needed to put to rest.

"Okay, I get it. I promise you I won't get hurt. I know I have no chance in hell with Kurt now. He's engaged to a rich lawyer whom he's been with for five years, so obviously this Glen guy is doing what I couldn't," when Blaine said that aloud, his stomach knotted and rolled unpleasantly. _It's your wounded pride, _he told himself. "I have Nate now and he is so good to me—"

"But you won't tell him you love him?" she snorted and rolled her eyes.

Blaine sighed, "I'm just not ready yet. Kurt fucked me up when he left and Nate is just starting to put me back together again. I don't want to go back to being miserable again. I think being friends with Kurt is going to help in the long run."

Elise nodded, "I just want you to be careful, okay? I hated seeing you so upset the other night. Please don't make me watch you shoot yourself in the foot with this Kurt friendship," she looked up at Blaine with tears welling in her eyes. "You're my best friend."

Blaine wrapped her in his arms and held her tightly, "I love you Elise. So much," he pulled back, his hands resting on her shoulders and he looked into her eyes, "I'll be careful. I promise." He gave her a reassuring smile.

Elise smiled back at her best friend, "good. Let's get cookin'." And they both headed into the shop.

Blaine made a batch of scones and waited on customers. The shop was busier than yesterday but since it was Friday, most people just got their coffee in the morning, working through lunch so they can get their work done and get out to have fun that night. After eleven, business slowed and Blaine wished he had brought his guitar, but he couldn't bear to leave it at the shop over the weekend. He waited for noon to roll around so Nate would come and he could just tell him about making plans with Kurt without checking with him first. He felt guilty making plans with Kurt on a night that was usually reserved for him and Nate.

Nate walked through the door, a lunch box in his hand. "Hey, babe," Nathanial chimed, side-stepping a table and planting a kiss on Blaine's cheek. Blaine laughed and blushed a little. "I have turkey on rye bread today."

"Sounds great," Blaine smiled and the two men seated themselves on opposite sides of one of the small tables. Blaine looked down at his sandwich, not sure how to begin this conversation. _I should have never agreed to this. Hanging out with Kurt for the past three days in a row, it looks bad. I've seen him more than Nate! What have I gotten myself into?_ Blaine argued with himself as a blissfully unaware Nathanial munched on carrot sticks.

"So," Blaine began, "uh, Kurt came into the shop yesterday."

Nate looked shocked and smiled stiffly, "you _do_ make excellent coffee, dear." Blaine smiled, that was not the response he needed to keep this conversation flowing. "So I was thinking about what we should do tonight," Nate continued, "and I've decided that we should go to the movies and see that new romantic comedy we both want to see and go back to my place for some dinner?"

Blaine sucked in a sharp breath and let it out slow. "Actually," he stared down at his sandwich and picked at the crust nervously, "that's why I brought up talking to Kurt, he wants to go shopping and take me to a fashion show to re-educate me on what's happening now in fashion." The table grew tense as the two men sat in silence. _This was such a bad idea, _Blaine thought.

"I thought Friday was our night," Nate finally said. Blaine refused to shift his gaze from the sandwich he was tearing apart with his fingers. "But I guess if you already made plans we can go out on Saturday night."

Blaine snapped his head up, "really? You don't mind?"

"Well I'm not thrilled that I can't have you all to myself, but Kurt's your friend. I can't hog you even though I want to," he shrugged and grinned.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have agreed. I know it's our night. I'll make it up to you Saturday, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," Nathanial smirked. Nate lingered longer than he usually did, planning their date on Saturday night. Elise joined them and agreed that she and John would love to go see the movie with them, even though John wasn't particularly fond of romantic comedies. It was past one o'clock when Nate declared he had to get back to work since he was already late. He pulled Blaine into his arms and kissed him once, twice, three times before Blaine shoved him off ordering him to leave before Nate got in trouble with his boss. He leaned down and gave Blaine one more peck before taking a left out of the shop. Mere seconds after Nate left the shop, Kurt glided in, watching Nate as he receded down the sidewalk. Kurt looked at Blaine who was still in the middle of the café, and back to Nate's retreating figure.

"Was that, Nathanial?" he asked craning his neck around the door frame to stare at Nate. Blaine smiled and nodded, trying not to look too flustered. "He's tall!" Kurt exclaimed.

"I like tall guys," Blaine shrugged.

Kurt cast his eyes back to Blaine, "oh, I knew that," he remarked, making his point by looking down at Blaine.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm short. I get it. Are you all set to go?" Blaine retorted taking off his apron and stashing it behind the counter.

"I was born ready," Kurt growled.

"Alright then, I'll see you tomorrow night Elise!" Blaine called into the back room and the two men left the shop. Blaine and Kurt walked down the street to some unknown clothing store, or more likely several stores if Kurt was getting his way. "Where exactly are we going?" Blaine asked after they had walked a few blocks.

"My favorite store to start," he chirped stopping in front of a store front. Blaine looked into the display window and saw several manikins dressed in expensive suits. Kurt grabbed Blaine's hand and dragged him up the stairs and into the store. The store was huge and they paused in the doorway so Blaine could take everything in. Racks of suits lined the walls of all different colors ranging from black to bright fuchsia.

"You're not going to make me look like a flamingo, are you?" Blaine asked Kurt.

"If you keep doubting my abilities, you'll wish I made you look that good," Kurt snipped dragging Blaine by the elbow to a rack of blazers. "Now let's see what we have to work with," Kurt said spreading Blaine's arm out, making his body into a "T" shape. Kurt appraised Blaine's body, raking it with his eyes. "Now slowly turn in a circle," he said crossing his arms and tapping his chin. Blaine rolled his eyes and revolved in front of Kurt. Kurt took in Blaine nodding to himself and taking mental notes.

"I feel like a prostitute being evaluated by her pimp before he sells her to another slave trader," Blaine whined as he turned to face Kurt again.

"Interesting comparison," Kurt acknowledged. "I assume you don't want anything too flashy?"

"Well, your idea of flashy and mine differ somewhat, I'd say," Blaine answered with a chuckle. And with that Kurt was off like a shot, disappearing among racks of blazers. Kurt was like a machine when he was picking out clothes for other people. Back in high school, he wasn't nearly this concentrated, but being in the fashion business, everything about someone you dress has to be perfect. They went from store to store sometimes trying on a pile of clothes, and sometimes none at all. At the end of the afternoon, both men were laden with bags containing a full suit and matching shoes for Blaine.

Kurt slid up his sleeve and checked his watch, "it's almost four o'clock now, we should be at the show for six. Want to go back to my apartment and get ready?" Kurt asked turning to Blaine.

Blaine looked at Kurt for a moment, startled by his question. "Sure."

Kurt smiled and hailed a taxi. They scrambled in and arranged their bags neatly. Kurt gave the driver the directions to his apartment and they pulled away from the curb.

The two men chatted about their shopping adventure and all the ridiculous things Kurt had Blaine try on, "feathers? Really Kurt? I know I'm not as up on fashion as you are, but covering a perfectly good lapel in _feathers_?" Blaine laughed.

Kurt giggled, "it is a high fashion piece from Milan, it isn't supposed to look plain."

"Looking like a rooster is in style now? Good thing I've been out of it for a few years," Blaine chortled.

"Why have you been so out of it? In school whenever you weren't in that uniform, you dressed very well. None of this plain-Jane stuff you're dressing in now," Kurt inquired.

Again Kurt brought up the past, "after school didn't work, I just kind of settled with mediocrity in Ohio. Coming to New York was a huge and much needed wake up call."

"Doesn't sound like the Blaine I once knew," Kurt mused aloud.

"People change," Blaine mumbled casting his eyes out the window of the moving taxi.

Kurt glanced at Blaine out of the corner of his eye, "yes, they do."

They spent the rest of the drive in silence, each man looking out his respective window as the city flashed by them. They pulled up to the curb and got out at a huge, lavish apartment complex that was even nicer than Nate's. Blaine let out a whistle, "nice digs," he observed.

Kurt smiled and led the way to the building and into the elevator. They rode to the top floor and got out. Kurt handed his bags to Blaine and extracted a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, Blaine followed inside. Blaine was struck by how beautiful the interior was. Everything was color and pattern coordinated; obviously Kurt's meticulous work was responsible for it. There was a balcony and an office and one bedroom that lay adjacent to the kitchen. Off the bedroom was a huge walk in closet into which Kurt led Blaine.

"I can safely say I am not surprised at all at how huge this closet is," Blaine said setting the bags down at the foot of the bureau.

"If you cross to the other side of the bed there is the master bathroom, you can change in there and meet me in here when you're all set," Kurt said, immediately pulling things from his wardrobe to wear.

"Okay," Blaine picked up his bags and left the walk in closet. He skirted around the queen size bed and into the bathroom. Again, it was huge, and furnished in white marble. He set his bags on the sink and began undressing. He reached for his bags and noticed two tooth brushes in a cup next to the sink. Two brushes. Then it hit him. _He lives with Glen._ _Of course he lives with Glen, they've been together for five years._ Blaine frowned at the innocent brushes and was angry that Kurt hadn't told him this little bit of information. Why did that extra toothbrush piss Blaine off so much? _Because it should be yours,_ the voice in his head spoke. Blaine shook his head and threw his shirt into one of the bags. He got dressed as slow as he could, silently fuming, but knowing Kurt would need all the time he could get to pick an outfit. Blaine tied the laces of his new shiny shoes and crammed all of his street clothes into one of the shopping bags. He folded the suit-jacket over his arm, snatched up the bag, and left the master bathroom and that damn toothbrush.

When he walked into the room, the door to the wardrobe was open, meaning Kurt was decent. He walked over and knocked lightly on the door. Kurt was sitting at his bureau, lightly dabbing something on his face. When he heard the tapping, he turned in his seat and saw Blaine leaning against the door frame. His mouth fell open and his eyes widened. "Helloooooooooo handsome."

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! As always I will post the next chapter for you on Thursday!<em>

_~ Jess_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: **Good day all! Here is the next chapter. It's a little on the shorter side, but the next one is about twice as long as this one so don't fret! Again, I would like to extend my deepest thanks for your support and your reviews, they really do mean so much to me. Enjoy the chapter and see you next time!_

_Sadly, I don't own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>Blaine gave a huge toothy grin as he watched Kurt's stunned expression. Kurt recovered quickly though, shaking his head and flashing a smile. He stood up from his stool and strode over to Blaine. "Turn," he commanded. Blaine slid his arms in his jacket and rotated slowly in a circle for Kurt. Kurt hummed to himself as he studied the fit of Blaine's suit. Kurt really was a fashion mastermind. He found Blaine a perfectly fitted three piece suit that looked as if it has been specially tailored to fit him. He wore shiny black designer shoes, creased jet-black trousers, a black button down shirt, a black blazer, and a black vest with a striking white tie and matching pocket square. Kurt bit his lip and tilted his head as he studied Blaine from top to bottom.<p>

"Like what you see?" Blaine teased raising his bushy eyebrows.

Kurt's eyes flicked back to Blaine's face, "yes, actually. You still clean up nicely. But technically I get all the credit," Kurt smiled. He stepped closer to Blaine and removed the pocket square. He refolded it neatly and stuffed it back into the breast pocket on Blaine's jacket. He let his hand linger on his chest for a moment before looking at the mop of curls on Blaine's head. "Those curls haven't changed a bit."

Blaine smiled nervously. Kurt was mere inches away and he was sure Kurt could feel his racing heart under the hand that was still resting on his chest. His breath caught in his throat when Kurt reached up his other hand and ran his fingers through his unruly curls. Blaine's heart was really hammering now as he fought the urge to close his eyes as Kurt kept running his hand through his hair.

"This is in desperate need of some hair products," Kurt murmured, his breath blowing against Blaine's forehead. Blaine watched as the corners of Kurt's mouth turned up into a smile. "However," Kurt continued, "you will not be putting any product in because you and I both know that hair gel in your hands is dangerous." Blaine smiled but missed the pressure when Kurt removed his hands from his hair and from his chest.

Kurt caught Blaine by the hand and dragged him over to his mirrored bureau, sitting him on the stool facing away from his reflection in the glass. He studied Blaine's hair a moment and ran his fingers through the dry curls one more time before reaching over and removing a bottle from his bureau. He squirted out a small dollop of cream into his palm and rubbed his hands together. He then ran his hands through Blaine's hair, applying the cream to Blaine's scalp. Blaine closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of Kurt's fingers winding through his hair. He was immediately hit in the back of his mind with all the memories of these same fingers desperately fisting through his hair in the heat of passion. His eyes snapped open after that, shutting out the images that had reemerged from long suppressed memories. _He's engaged. He's engaged. He's engaged, _half of his brain was chanting, while the other half whispered, _what if? What if? What if? _

"I feel like I'm at some swanky hair salon," Blaine murmured as Kurt applied another sweet smelling cream, rubbing it roughly into his scalp.

"You need to go to a salon more often. Your hair is so _dry_," Kurt whined. "Making this do what I envisioned is going to take some work."

Blaine nodded and let Kurt worked his magic. He stared at Kurt's chest as he ran a brush through his hair. Kurt was dressed equally as nice, but his ensemble was much more "Kurt". He was wearing a bright red blazer with a red and white striped button down shirt and a white vest underneath. From the waist down, Kurt was wearing white trousers, white shoes, and red socks that peeked out when the hem of his pants rode up, and his bowtie was not really a cloth tie at all. Instead, it was several red dice with white dots, attached together in the shape of a bowtie.

"Interesting bowtie you have there," Blaine commented reaching up to run his fingers across it.

Kurt smiled, "thank you. I made it myself."

"It's really nice," Blaine replied, skimming his fingers along the pitted surface of the dice. He trailed his fingers lightly down Kurt's chest before folding his hands together in his lap. Being close to Kurt like this was confusing for Blaine. Suddenly he felt like they were teenagers again and they were in Kurt's room again and Kurt was fretting over how much gel was in Blaine's hair. He shouldn't be enjoying this closeness either, especially since a single touch from Kurt made Blaine's pulse sky rocket. He needed to keep the conversation going so he couldn't think. "So, Glen is working at his law firm?" Blaine asked.

Kurt sighed and sprayed a light mist of water mixed with product onto Blaine's hair. "Yes. He works a lot. More than I would like, anyway."

"At least you live together," Blaine replied.

"It seems like a good thing," Kurt said as he began putting a part in Blaine's hair. "But he gets home so late and usually just eats the cold dinner I made and goes into his office or to bed."

_Doesn't sound like a great set up, _Blaine thought. "When's the wedding?" Blaine asked tentatively.

Kurt perked up a little at this change in topic, "two weeks from tomorrow."

"So soon?" Blaine choked, failing to hide his shock.

"We've had a plan for a while and we've been together for five years," Kurt shrugged, "why wait?"

"Makes sense when you put it like that," Blaine replied with a shrug. For some reason he had been hoping it was months or even years from now. Why did the closeness of the wedding date unsettle him so much? _It doesn't. It doesn't bother you,_ Blaine thought, furiously trying to convince himself. He heaved a heavy sigh and clasped and unclasped his hands to keep his mind on something else.

"You should come!" Kurt exclaimed stepping back to look at Blaine.

Blaine's stomach rolled unpleasantly, "oh Kurt, I don't know. I wouldn't want to impose—"

"Please Blaine? You can bring Nathanial! It is going to be the wedding of the century! I'm planning the _whole_ thing, it is going to be perfect," Kurt cooed.

"Where is it?" Blaine asked.

"It's at this _lovely_ venue here in the city with a huge skylight and the reception hall has an immaculate dance floor. Most of the old gang from the New Directions will be there. You should come!" Kurt insisted bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.

Blaine looked up at Kurt who was silently pleading with Blaine, "what time?"

"One o'clock in the afternoon."

Blaine was reluctant to go. Watching Kurt be given away by his father to another man is going to sting a little. He scratched the back of his neck thinking of a way to say no without hurting Kurt's feelings. He couldn't think of any way to decline. He sighed in defeat, "sure Kurt. Nate and I would love to go to your wedding," Blaine said as he gave Kurt the most genuine smile he could muster.

"Yes! Thank you!" Kurt squealed leaping onto Blaine and wrapping him in a tight hug. He pressed his lips to his temple with an exaggerated _muah! _sound. Blaine's cheeks felt warm and butterflies had seizures in his stomach. "You are going to have _such_ a great time, I promise," Kurt muttered in his ear before pulling away. He reached for a comb and sprayed it with a bit of hair spray. He ran it through Blaine's hair along the part and tossed it back onto the dresser. Kurt stepped back a few feet and admired his work, his pink tongue trapped in between his lips. "That about does it."

Blaine turned around in his seat and admired his hair. He had a part like he used to in school but instead of the curls being cemented with gel, they were spiraling and organized. His hair was shiny and healthy looking and not as dry and damaged as they had looked ten minutes ago. "Very nice, Kurt."

Kurt placed his hands on Blaine's shoulders from behind him, "if only you had let me fix your hair in high school," he shook his head and clucked his tongue. "Turn around," Kurt demanded again.

Blaine spun in his seat, facing him again, and Kurt grabbed some tan powder from the bureau and he began dabbing it on a brush. He started lightly spreading a thin layer of the powder across the planes of Blaine's face. He took Blaine's jaw in between his thumb and forefinger and turned Blaine's head to the side and when he did, a huge smile emerged on Kurt's face.

"What's so funny?" Blaine asked without turning his head.

Kurt giggled, "you have a huge smear of flour behind your left ear."

Blaine laughed with Kurt. His bubbling laughter stuck thickly in his throat when Kurt licked his thumb and began to slowly wipe the flour away. Kurt licked his thumb again and finished getting rid of the rest of the print. Blaine could feel the heat spiral up his neck as it began turning a shade of red.

The corners of Kurt's lips twitched but he didn't comment. "There," he said, "got it." He resumed silently swiping powder across Blaine's face again.

Satisfied with his work, he began running the brush across his own face. He set the powder down and quickly sprayed his flawless hair with hairspray. Blaine watched as he trotted over to the full length mirror and studied himself.

"You look great, Kurt," Blaine said before he could stop himself.

Now it was Kurt's turn to blush. "Thanks, Blaine," he glanced at himself once more in the mirror before turning to Blaine. "You ready to go?"

Blaine glanced at the tube of hair gel and reached for it, itching to tame one of his especially unruly curls. "Actually, I was just going to add a little more gel to my—"

Kurt lunged over to where Blaine was sitting on the stool and grabbed his shoulders, hoisting him out of the chair. He spun him towards the wardrobe door and bodily shoved him through the door frame.

"Blaine Anderson, if you so much as look at that hair gel I will shave your head," Kurt growled, shoving him out of the apartment.

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><p><em>Thank you, thank you for reading! Next chapter will be posted on Monday as always!<em>

_~ Jess_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N:**__Hello readers, here is the next chapter for you! And it's almost double the length of the last one! Thanks for the reviews and for your support, I really appreciate every single one of you all. Thank you for reading, and enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this, or any of the chapters in this story._

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><p>The cab rolled to a stop in front of a large building on the opposite side of the city. Kurt paid the cabbie and the two men made with way into the building. A perky red head greeted them at the front desk and directed them to where the show was taking place. Kurt lead the way to a huge room with rows and rows of chairs on either side of a long, white carpeted runway. Kurt and Blaine took their seats on one side of the runway in the back. Kurt began conversing politely to the woman next to him but Blaine had no idea who she was. Instead of joining in the conversation, he looked around at all the other people waiting in their seats. He couldn't recognize any of them and there were so <em>many<em> unfamiliar faces. This was going to be an awkward evening.

Blaine admired the simplicity of the room, the walls were plain and the runway was lit with bright lights. Photographers situated themselves at the end of the runway, jostling for a spot close to the front so they could get the best pictures. There was an awfully large amount of people here for it to be considered a "small show" as Kurt had put it. Blaine's brow furrowed, _damn this is going to be a long night._ Kurt chuckled lightly next to Blaine.

"Laugh it up," Blaine muttered under his breath to Kurt.

Kurt attempted to stifle his giggles with his hand, "you look positively murderous, Blaine. What's wrong?"

Blaine turned in his seat to glare directly at Kurt. "I thought this was a _little_ fashion show and only a _few_ people were going to be here."

"Blaine, this _is_ a small show," Kurt replied tilting his head to the side and arching an eyebrow.

Blaine looked all around him in mock exasperation, "_this_ is small?" he hissed.

"Compared to the shows during fashion week, yes," Kurt said. He slid his hand over to cover Blaine's which were folded together in his lap. Blaine's heart fluttered in his chest, "just relax and enjoy the show," Kurt pleaded giving Blaine's fingers a reassuring squeeze. Blaine responded by flipping his hand so their palms were touching and squeezed Kurt's hand in return. Just then, the lights dimmed and Kurt's fingers involuntarily flexed in Blaine's hand. Kurt entwined his fingers in Blaine's in anticipation for the show.

"Are you alright?" Blaine asked trying to make sense of the other man's fingers entwined in his own.

"I'm nervous," Kurt responded as the lights on either side of the runway lit up. "This designer is one of the biggest competitors against the label I design for and if this collection is good we're screwed."

"Kurt you're _brilliant_, this guy can't hold a candle to you," Blaine replied squeezing Kurt's hand. Kurt gave Blaine a grateful smile.

The booming music started and one of the models came out from behind the partition. She strutted down the runway, her heels clacking in time to the music. _I must be really behind on fashion, _Blaine thought, _because that outfit is hideous. Neon yellow and leopard print evening gown? Who does that?_

Kurt's response mirrored Blaine's thoughts, "distasteful," he muttered, "not a good way to open the show."

Much of the fashion show continued like this, a male or female model would come around the partition and Blaine would wrinkle his nose, whilst Kurt commented on the horrible color palate or an uneven hem. The entire time Kurt's hand was entwined with Blaine's in the darkness of the room. The only light came from the bulbs that were lighting the runway and the flashes emanating from the photographers cameras. Blaine's hand was clammy and the familiar contact unsettled him. He was hyper aware of every move Kurt made, but he was even more aware of how Kurt's hand never left his . Occasionally, Kurt would squeeze his fingers, but he never removed them from Blaine's hand. It was half way through the show when Blaine realized he was subconsciously tracing patterns on Kurt's palm with his thumb and he abruptly stopped. He used to do that all the time whenever Kurt had his hand in his. The pressure was warm and welcome and felt like it was meant to be there. _Stop it_, Blaine berated to himself. Blaine mentally slapped himself, snapping him out of his reverie and he focused all of his concentration on the fashion show.

After what felt like hours of endless bodies walking back and forth before the audience, the final model finished his walk and all of the models from the show walked up and down the runway in one long line. The designer of the collection brought up the rear of the line of models clad in a designer suit and wearing a painted on mole. Everyone in their seats clapped for the designer as he went back behind the partition. Kurt removed his hand from Blaine's and clapped respectfully as well.

"I don't think you have much to worry about," Blaine said over the applause with a smile.

Kurt grinned in return, "it would appear that way. I'm sorry it was bad, this was supposed to be a learning experience for you."

"I learned that there should never be that much animal print in one collection," Blaine laughed. They got to their feet and followed the crowd to another part of the building. This room was much more elaborate, people dressed in matching black vests walked around the room carrying trays of champagne and finger foods. The only way onto the main floor was to go through a long line of photographers and interviewers. The two men got in line and waited to get through.

"This is why we're here," Kurt sighed, an elated smile dawning across his face as he took in the room.

"Free food and drinks?" Blaine teased.

Kurt rolled his eyes at Blaine, "you _would_ say that," he smirked. "We're here to schmooze fashion buyers."

"We?" Blaine asked arching an eyebrow.

"Well mostly me. You just stand around and look good and when people ask who dressed you, say it was me," Kurt replied with a wink.

They made their way down the line and were stopped by a group of interviewers and photographers. They began snapping Kurt's picture and shoving their microphones in his face. Blaine slowly backed up so he would not be in any of Kurt's shots. Kurt looked over his shoulder at Blaine and snatched him by the elbow. He dragged Blaine over and wrapped an arm around Blaine's waist. He smiled as the cameras furiously clicked, the flashes leaving dark spots in Blaine's vision. Blaine placed his hand on the small of Kurt's back and smiled his charming smile.

"Mr. Hummel! Kurt!" the interviewers shouted shoving each other out of the way. "What piece was your favorite? How did you like the collection? What is your next project?" they all demanded, peppering Kurt with dozens of questions. Kurt took it all in stride, soaking up the limelight. He answered all the questions diplomatically, praising the collection and the designer. He responded calmly despite all the cameras and microphones crowding, he even cracked a few jokes and the press laughed. His face glowed with the flash of the cameras. "Who is he? You're fiancé? When is the wedding?"

"This is an old friend of mine, Blaine Anderson," he replied looking over at Blaine. "My fiancé, Glen Ayers, couldn't make it today," Kurt continued to talk about his fiancé and the wedding but Blaine didn't hear any of it. A few of the photographers peeled away from Kurt and were now shoving their microphones in Blaine's face. It was really overwhelming.

"What do you do? Who dressed you? What did you think of the collection?" they all asked at once.

Blaine hesitated not sure to start, "I'm not in the fashion business, Kurt brought me here to educate me," Blaine gave a charming chuckle, "the collection was executed very well, I was very impressed with the designer's work."

"Is this your first show?" one woman asked.

"Yes it is. I had to go shopping this afternoon because I had nothing to wear!" Blaine joked and a handful of interviewers politely laughed along.

"You look great! Why did you choose this style?"

"I didn't Kurt Hummel did, he's simply brilliant," Blaine beamed glancing at Kurt out of the corner of his eye. Kurt gave Blaine's arm a reassuring squeeze. The interviewers moved onto the next group of people and Kurt and Blaine made their way down a long line of photographers until they were on the main floor.  
>"See that wasn't too bad," Kurt exclaimed wrapping his arm all the way around Blaine's side and giving him a half hug. Blaine laughed nervously in agreement and patted Kurt's shoulder. "Relax Blaine, if no one bit you back there no one will now!" Kurt released Blaine and looked at the sea of people around the room, scoping it out. "Okay Blaine, follow my lead."<p>

Kurt plowed through groups of people and made a bee-line for the designer of the fashion show. Photographers were snapping his picture and the cameras went wild when Kurt joined him. Kurt showered him in compliments, remarking on the fine craftsmanship of the collection and the cohesiveness of all the designs. The man thanked Kurt and told him he was glad Kurt had found time in his busy schedule to attend. This banter continued for a good five long minutes as Blaine just stood off to the side. He was definitely out of his realm now. In high school he would have been able to mingle and talk about fashion and what not, but he hasn't picked up a fashion magazine for five years. Kurt took a few more photos with the designer and led him to another group of people. Blaine picked up two glasses of champagne and handed one to Kurt who smiled and sipped it.

Blaine stood at Kurt's side all night, following him from group to group as Kurt mingled with big name fashion folk Blaine did not know. Occasionally Blaine would get the opportunity to introduce himself and talk about his recent move to New York and his renewed interest in fashion. He liked talking to people about stuff he knew about. He was talking about guitars with one gentleman when a woman cut in, "you play guitar?" she asked.

"Yes. I've been playing piano and guitar for years. Blaine Anderson," he introduced himself, shaking the woman's hand.

"Meredith Scott. Have you ever done anything professionally?" she asked sipping her champagne.

"I've preformed at a few bars since coming to New York but nothing too big," he shrugged swirling the contents of his glass.

"Would you be interested in preforming at a small amateur night I'm sponsoring at the bar I co-own? It's something I do annually to drum up business and the performer who does the best gets $1,000."

"R-Really? That would be fantastic! I'd love to, thank you!" Blaine exclaimed, grinning ear to ear.

"No need to thank me, Kurt tells me you are a shoe-in to win," she trilled. She took out a pen and snatched a napkin from one of the finger food trays. "It's tomorrow night at this address," she scribbled on the napkin, "the show starts at eight o'clock and you're last on the set list behind nine other musicians," she handed the napkin to Blaine. "I'll see you tomorrow night," she smiled and shook Blaine's hand again.

"Thanks again, Ms. Scott," Blaine said still beaming. Meredith smiled and walked toward another group of people. Blaine stared down at the napkin in his hands, still amazed at the turn of events. He had been paid a small amount at the other gigs he had done, but nothing near $1,000.

"What are you so smiley about?" Kurt asked coming up behind Blaine and peeking at the napkin over his shoulder.

"Don't pretend like you're totally innocent here, Mr. Hummel," Blaine remarked lightly elbowing Kurt in the ribs. "Ms. Meredith Scott told me you put in a good word for me."

Blaine turned to face Kurt directly who admitted, "I may have briefly mentioned your musical talents."

"Who is she? She isn't some hugely famous designer is she? Because I totally just freaked out a little when she asked me to perform…"

"A designer?" Kurt laughed, "Meredith is married someone in the business."

"Her husband's a designer?"

"Her wife, actually," Kurt replied with a smile and Blaine grinned in return. "Told you this night wouldn't be so bad."

"It appears you are right again Kurt," Blaine said looking around the room. Most of the people were leaving, posing for their final pictures before heading out. Kurt and Blaine made their way out of the room, getting inundated by a few photographers at the door. They left the building and entered into the early night of New York.

"Do you want to walk for a while?" Kurt asked.

"Sure."

The pair started strolling down the street. At first it was silent, neither man willing to be the first to break the silence. Eventually Kurt caved in. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," Blaine replied with a shrug.

"This has been on my mind for a while and if you don't want to answer it I completely understand…" Blaine glanced at Kurt, waiting for the question. "What was your reaction when I came to the coffee shop last week?"

Blaine paused, not really sure where to begin. He thrust his hands into his pockets, "shock I guess you could call it. I hadn't expected to see you ever again and there you were."

Kurt nodded, his blue eyes staring off into the distance. "You didn't ever want to see me again?" he asked quietly.

Blaine thought a moment, "it's not that I didn't want to see you, I was just caught off guard."

Kurt nodded again, "I'm sorry."

Blaine looked over at him, "for what?"

Kurt looked away, focusing on the pavement at his feet, "for ending things like I did."

Blaine looked away, not sure how to respond to that. _He should be sorry, _he thought.

"The distance was just too much and I felt like we weren't really together any more. We hardly ever talked and we were busy all the time with school and friends. Then Glen came along and it made me realize that I couldn't do it any more—"

"Can I ask you a question?" Blaine cut in.

"Yeah…"

"Did you and Glen _do_ anything while we were still together?" Blaine asked. Kurt hesitated, his shifting gaze trailing along the sidewalk below his feet, refusing to meet Blaine's eyes. "I just want to know the truth Kurt, it won't change anything."

Kurt crossed his arms and refused to look away from the sidewalk, "yeah," he croaked. "We went on a few dates and w-we kissed the night before I called you. I didn't want to lead either of you on," Kurt whispered looking over at Blaine with tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry if I hurt you Blaine, I never meant to. If I was in your position, I wouldn't even be talking to me right now."

Blaine looked at Kurt who had tears silently falling down his face. Blaine wrapped his arm around Kurt's shoulders as they walked and pulled him into his side, "Kurt," Blaine said after a while, "you've always been my friend, I could never just cut you out of my life for good if you wanted to be in it."

"You're too gracious," Kurt sniffed, "I am so sorry."

"I'll always forgive you Kurt, I'm just glad you're back in my life. Even if you take me to crappy fashion shows," Kurt laughed and wiped the tears from his face.

"Me too," Kurt said wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist, "but next time I'll take you to one of the enormous shows where the clothes don't look like they were made by kindergarteners during craft hour."

Blaine chuckled, "deal."

The pair walked a little while longer, Blaine with his arm around Kurt's shoulders and Kurt with his arm around Blaine's waist, chatting happily about how much of a flop the fashion show was as a whole. Eventually, the night got chilly and they hailed separate cabs. They hugged goodbye and went back to their apartments.

Blaine was beside himself at how the evening had turned out. Kurt apologized which is something he hadn't expected. He reminisced as he went into his apartment and undressed, carefully hanging up his suit in his closet. It wasn't too late when he got in, but the day's activities had worn him out and he felt exhausted when he crawled into bed. Maybe that talk with Kurt was the closure he needed. Maybe now he could move on with Nate. Blaine was hopeful as he fell asleep but as he drifted into unconsciousness, he thought about how smooth and comforting Kurt's hand was when it was entwined with his and butterflies drifted with him to sleep.

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><p><em>Thank you very, very much for reading! Hope you enjoyed it, and I will have the next chapter up on Thursday!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **_Hi guys! I am so, so, so, so sorry I didn't post yesterday (Thursday). I was having massive computer issues and internet connection problems and it was just a huge horrible mess. __Hopefully the problem is fixed so that doesn't happen again, and I sincerely apologize for not having the chapter to you on time like I had promised._

_Anyway, here's the chapter for you! Thank you for your patience, your support, and thank you so very much for reading!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this story, nor do I own any of the music mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>Blaine paced restlessly around the living room of his apartment racking his brain for song ideas. There were so many options he could choose from and he had no idea what to do. Should he do something classical or something more contemporary? A ballad or an anthem? He had no idea what he was going to do. It was about noon now and he only had eight short hours to decide on a song and practice it for the amateur musician competition tonight. He kicked aside the wadded up papers scrawled with lists of song ideas that were scattered on the floor before he flopped back down in the chair and rested his head in his hands, deep in thought. He jumped when the shrill ring of his cell phone disrupted the silence of his apartment. He snatched it off the table and glanced at the name.<p>

"Hey Nate," he sighed into the phone.

"Hi Blaine!" Nate chirped on the other line.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to check and make sure we were still on for that double date with Elise and John tonight."

_Damn it. _"Look Nate, I'm going to have to cancel our plans tonight," Blaine mumbled into the phone, feeling terrible.

"Going to another fashion show with Kurt?" Nate asked, the background noise on the other line unable to hide the twinge of bitterness in his voice.

"No it has nothing to do with Kurt," Blaine barked into the phone. "Last night at the fashion show, I met this woman who is putting on a show for amateur musicians at her bar and she offered me a slot in the show. First prize is one thousand dollars."

"Really? That sounds great! What time does it start?"

"Eight tonight. Do you want to come?"

"I wouldn't miss it," Nate said and Blaine could hear the smile in his voice. "Do you know what you want to sing?"

Blaine heaved a frustrated sigh, "I have no clue, I've been grasping for an idea all day and I've got nothing," he groaned. He ran his hand through his curls and dragged his fingers down his face.

"Do you want to come over and brain storm? You can use my piano if you want," Nate offered.

"I'll be over in a few."

"I love you."

"I'll see you soon," and Blaine hung up the phone.

He rushed over to Nate's with his lists of songs and immediately set himself to work. They discussed songs and lyrics for hours, trying to pick the perfect one. When they finally decided on an appropriate one, they sat down at the piano and began to put lyrics to the melody. Nate would play while Blaine got the lyrics down and when he had the lyrical part of the song perfected, Nate helped him with the keys on the piano. Slowly but surely, the melody became smooth and once the piano was mastered, Blaine added his voice to the song. At first he was a little rusty, having not played the piano and sang at the same time for years, but eventually he was back to his old self. His hands effortlessly glided along the ebony and ivory keys of the piano. He liked the slick feeling of the keys under his fingertips. He hadn't played like this in years and it just felt like this is what he had been missing.

"I didn't know you could play this well," Nate said coming over to the piano with two sandwiches. "When you said you used to play, I always assumed it was just classical stuff. You have quite the talent."

"Thanks, it feels good to play again," Blaine replied taking a bite of the sandwich. "What time is it?"

Nate rolled up his sleeve and glanced at his watch, "seven thirty."

Blaine nearly choked on his food, "already?"

"Relax and eat, you have plenty of time. You're going to kill it tonight," Nate gushed. Blaine smiled and Nate pressed a light kiss across his lips.

"Thank you for all your help. Sorry I had to cancel your plans again."

Nate wrapped an arm around Blaine's shoulders, "I understand. We will just make tonight our date night." Blaine smiled and leaned up to kiss Nate. Their lips pressed together and Blaine felt his stomach flutter half-heartedly, the butterflies only barely stirring.

"I have to get ready," Blaine murmured leaning away.

"No you don't," Nate said pressing his lips to Blaine's again.

"Yes I do, it'll only take a few minutes and we can leave," Blaine stood up from the piano and hurried into the bathroom. He splashed water across his face and dried it off, the nerves hadn't really hit him yet but they were definitely going to once he got to the event. He patted his curls down, wishing he had Kurt there to do his hair again. He wondered if Kurt would be at the show. He hadn't said he was coming so Blaine assumed Kurt must be out with Glen tonight. Glen. He was not looking forward to meeting him, especially since Kurt technically cheated with the guy when he and Blaine were still together. Blaine pushed the thought from his mind, knowing he will have to meet this Glen character eventually, at Kurt's wedding or maybe even before. Blaine smoothed down the front of his black vest. He tried to dress a little less boring, hoping to add to his act. He wore dark jeans and simple black shoes with a white button up shirt and an electric blue tie under the black vest. He looked himself over in the mirror once more before leaving.

"How do I look?" he asked Nate.

Nate walked over and looked Blaine over. He reached up and loosened his tie up quite a bit and unbuttoned the top button of his white shirt. "Much better," Nate commented. "You looked like you were going to church. Are you all set to go?"

Blaine nodded and the pair of them left the apartment. They got into a cab and Blaine read the address of the bar from the napkin that Meredith gave him the night before. It was a surprisingly lengthy drive to where the bar was. It was still in the city, but not near any of the other bars Blaine had performed at. Once the cab rolled to a stop at the curb, he and Nate paid the fare and went inside. Blaine was struck with how upscale it was. It had nice red carpeted floors and a large stage across from the bar area. He made his way through the entrance and was met by a smiling Meredith.

"Oh good, you're here!" she cried shaking Blaine's hand. "This is my wife, Natasha," she said gesturing to the tall woman next to her.

"Nice to meet you," Blaine said politely shaking Natasha's hand, "this is my boyfriend, Nate." Nate shook Meredith's and Natasha's hands. "Is everyone here?"

"Yes, the first act is just about to go on. Two of the acts dropped out at the last minute so you are the last of eight tonight," Meredith explained. "You and Nate can have a seat at one of the tables and watch the show until you go on. Since you're performing, drinks are on the house tonight for you gentlemen."

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome, good luck. I'll see you later." They parted ways and Nate and Blaine headed for one of the tables in the room with the stage. A woman had just come on stage and was speaking timidly into the microphone, nervously introducing herself. They seated themselves at one of the tables just as she began singing the first note.

Blaine and Nate watched all the acts. Every one of them was superb, much better than Blaine had anticipated. He was surprised at how talented they all were, especially one young man who had a fantastic voice as well as a talent for the harmonica. Blaine grew increasingly more nervous as the night wore on and he began shaking as the last act before him took the stage.

"You're going to be perfect," Nate whispered placing a hand on Blaine's trembling knee. Blaine smiled nervously in return, his lips trembling with the effort.

As soon as the act on stage had finished, Meredith came up on stage and announced Blaine. He shot out of his chair and made his way up to the stage. He sat himself down at the keyboard and adjusted the microphone nervously. "Hello, I'm Blaine Anderson and I will be performing a rendition of _The Beatles' _'Hey Jude'."

Blaine took a deep breath and let his fingers begin the opening of the song just as he had practiced that afternoon. His heart was hammering in his chest but as he began singing, his nerves tapered off and he lost himself in the music. He put every ounce of himself in the song, singing from his soul as his fingers told the part of the story that the lyrics didn't. He missed performing like this and the rush of being on stage in front of an audience as he poured his soul out in song.

He ended the song with a flourish on the keys and stood up, bowing graciously as the crowd cheered and clapped at his performance. Blaine smiled and went back to his seat. Nate kissed his cheek and trilled about how fantastic his performance was. Blaine's heart was still pounding like a drum in his chest and his cheeks were still flushed with excitement. Meredith came up on stage and took the microphone from the stand.

"What a great group of musicians! Let's give them all a hand!" she exclaimed and the audience clapped. "Alright, we've got it down to the top three, will the following performers please come up on stage! Molly Smith!"

Blaine crossed his fingers.

"Jared Niles!"

Nate gripped his shoulder tighter.

"And Blaine Anderson!"

Blaine let out a huge sigh and grinned from ear to ear. Nate kissed his cheek as he got up and made his way to the stage as the audience clapped for him. "Let's give it up for the top three performers!" Meredith bellowed and the audience cheered and clapped ferociously. "This is how it's gonna work from here, I'm going to stand next to a performer and you are going to cheer for your favorite. The performer with the loudest applause wins the competition and a check for one thousand dollars!" the audience clapped and hooted.

Meredith went and stood next to the other man on the stage, "Jared Niles?" she asked. The audience went wild, clapping and cheering with a few whistles coming from the crowd. When the noise ebbed she went over to the woman, "Molly Smith?" The audience clapped and there were a few cheers, but not as many as there were for Jared. Blaine grew nervous as Meredith made her way over to him. "Blaine Anderson?" The crowd clapped and cheered, just about loudly as they had for Jared. "Looks like it has come down to Blaine and Jared!" Meredith exclaimed. "Thanks for performing tonight Molly," Molly smiled courteously and left the stage.

Meredith positioned herself right in between Jared and Blaine. "It all comes down to these two amazing performers. Let's hear it one more time for both of these talented gentlemen!" The audience clapped and whooped. "Alright same drill as before, clap for your favorite. Blaine Anderson?" The crowd cheered louder than they had the first time. Blaine could feel the color in his cheeks and he smiled as wide as he could. Maybe he did have a shot at this. The crowd quieted, "Jared Niles?" The room erupted in cheers, much louder than what Blaine had received. Blaine felt his heart sink with disappointment. "Looks like we have our winner!" Meredith shouted, raising Jared's arm over his head like he had just won a wrestling match. The crowd cheered delightedly and Jared waved to his fans.

Blaine smiled and held out his hand, "great job, Jared. Congratulations."

Jared beamed at Blaine, "same to you mate," he replied in a slight accent. "Really thought you had it there for a minute."

Blaine smiled and shook his hand once more before hurrying off the stage. He found Nate in the throng of people that were storming the stage and enveloped himself in Nate's outstretched arms. Nate pressed a kiss into his curly hair, "you should have won."

"No, Jared deserved to win," Blaine sighed pulling away, "he was amazing."

"It's pretty late, want to head out?" Nate asked. Blaine nodded. "I'll go get a cab," he said kissing Blaine's cheek before fighting through the crowd towards the door. Blaine slowly made his way through the mass of people, following after Nate and trying not to look too disappointed as he shook hands with people and took their compliments. He made his way into the main lobby before heaving a heavy sigh. He wrapped his arms around himself and tried to bury his feelings of loss.

"Your performance was beautiful," chimed a voice from Blaine's left. He turned his head to see Kurt emerging through the last of the crowd. "I think you should have won."

Blaine was stunned, "I didn't know you came," Blaine replied sullenly, hiding his surprise.

"I just came in the last half hour to see you perform. It was wonderful and very moving, you should be proud."

Blaine let out a forced laugh, "not feeling too proud at the moment, but thanks."

"It stings now but that's the beauty of performing, you'll have so many more opportunities to do it again."

He nodded, "you're right, no regrets. And thank you for coming tonight Kurt."

Kurt smiled and closed the distance between himself and Blaine, wrapping his arms around him in a warm hug. "Any time," he murmured in Blaine's ear.

Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt and held him close, enjoying the comforting gesture from Kurt but feeling uneasy about the way his heart fluttered at the embrace. Kurt pulled back, "sorry I can't stay and chat. Glen is waiting at the apartment. I'll see you later Blaine," Kurt patted Blaine's shoulder before strolling right out the door without looking back.

Blaine watched him disappear in the crowds on the sidewalk, his stride fast and determined, seemingly impatient to get out and go home. Home to his fiancé. In that instant, as he watched Kurt run off to go back to Glen, Blaine could not help but think to himself, _I'll always be second best._

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! The next chapter will still be posted on Monday as planned, and again sorry for the delay in posting this chapter!<em>

_~ Jess_


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **_Hello, hello, hello! So here is the new chapter for you all, and no computer problems this week so I can post it on time for you (yay!). Thank you for reading, thank you for your wonderful reviews, thank you for your support, and enjoy!_

_One side note I'd like to make, is that the italicized part in the beginning is part of the chapter and it is a dream sequence. I just wanted to clarify in case that was confusing or unclear for anyone._

_Alright without further adieu, Chapter 13! In which I own none of the Glee related or music related things mentioned.  
><em>

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><p><em>Blaine's phone rang which was something it hadn't done all summer except when he called some of his old Dalton buddies to catch up. Most everyone he was friends with left Ohio after graduation and even he only came back during the summer. The summer sun cast a glare across the screen and he shaded it with his hand to read the caller ID. When the screen was in enough shadow, Blaine could make out the name perfectly: <em>Kurt 3. _His stomach fluttered a little in excitement for he hadn't actually heard his boyfriend's voice in a few weeks. He pressed the green button and raised the cell phone to his ear._

_ "Hi Kurt," he exclaimed into the phone, letting his excitement seep through the speaker._

_ The other line hesitated for a bit before the familiar voice replied less enthusiastically, "hello Blaine."_

_ "How are you?" Blaine asked, closing the book he had been reading. He shifted the phone to his other ear and went back inside so he could clearly hear his boyfriend on the other line._

_ "I'm not so good actually," Kurt murmured on the other end, somewhat uncomfortable. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sick?" Blaine asked furrowing his brow in concern._

_ "No, Blaine. I'm not alright. We're not alright," Kurt blurted out._

_ Blaine felt a knot form in his stomach, "I-I don't understand…"_

_ Kurt sighed heavily on the other line in frustration and exasperation, "Blaine, I don't think I can do this anymore."_

_ "Do what? Live in New York? I'm here in Ohio if you want to come back. Or you could come to California—"_

_ "That's not what I meant," Kurt groaned. "Us. I can't do us anymore!"_

_ Blaine's heart was fluttering and he felt like the oxygen in the room had vanished, "is it the distance?"_

_ "Yeah but—"_

_ "I can come to New York! I'll withdraw my enrollment in California and get a plane ticket today. I can—"_

_ "Blaine!" Kurt wailed into the phone. "I can't be with you anymore and not just because of the distance. We never talk anymore—"_

_ "You're just busy—"_

_ "I haven't been with you for a year—"_

_ "It's just a few hours drive and I can be there for you—"_

_ "I don't want to lead anyone on—"_

_ "We've always been open and honest with each other—"_

_ "I don't feel like this is even a relationship anymore—"_

_ "I love you, Kurt," Blaine's voice broke as he said Kurt's name. His eyes were welling up with burning tears and his chest felt like lead. The line on the other side went silent but not dead, Blaine could still hear background noise on the other end. There was a shuffling noise and Kurt gave a light and breathy sigh._

_ "I don't, Blaine," he murmured. Blaine's stomach fell out from his abdomen and he felt like he was going to be sick. The lump in his throat grew thick and threatened to shut off his voice altogether. "I think it's time we end things," Kurt went on after a moment. "I've met someone else and I-I want to see how things go with him and you should date other people as well. We can still be friends..."_

_ Blaine took the receiver away from his mouth and gave one quiet sob. He took a deep breath and put the phone back to his ear, "sure. If-If this is what you want then…" Blaine purposefully cut off, not sure if he could bear to utter the words himself._

_ "I'm sorry it couldn't work out," Kurt murmured. "I am glad that you were my first, Blaine."_

_ Tears began flowing freely down Blaine's face, "yeah, me too," he breathed._

_ "Take care," Kurt murmured._

_ Blaine nodded trying to keep his voice from shaking but failing, "you too."_

_ "Good-bye Blaine."_

_ Blaine took a shaky breath, "good-bye Kurt," he croaked. The line went dead and Blaine was left alone in that room as tears began to pour in rivers down his face. He dropped the phone onto the kitchen table he was standing next to and he sank into one of the chairs, his legs unable to support him any longer. Sobs racked his body and he wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the broken pieces of his soul together. Half of his heart was missing, beating out a strange new rhythm to the tune of his sorrow. He never felt so alone._

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><p>Blaine sat on the sofa in his apartment and stared blankly at the floor. Since Nate had come into his life, Blaine's dreams had been delightful but last night Blaine's subconscious forced him to relive his worst nightmare, thrusting him back into his past and forcing him to live the through the worst moment of his short life. He couldn't shake his sour mood from the night before when Kurt left so abruptly after the show. Blaine had tossed and turned for half of the night, brooding over how he was slighted by his friend. Normally if it had been Elise who left to go be with John, he would have no problem with it. In fact, he would probably be happy for her that she had plans with the guy. Why did Kurt just leave so <em>quickly<em>? It wasn't something he had said, Blaine ruled out that possibility at about two o'clock in the morning in between fits of troubled sleep. Kurt just left. Blaine didn't say or do anything wrong that he could think of. Kurt just _left_. Much like in the nightmare he relived last night, Kurt walked out on him for Glen. Why did Blaine suddenly feel negatively about the man? He has never even seen much less spoken to Glen, why this sudden bout of disdain? Kurt was happy with Glen and was set to marry him in less than two weeks so why was Blaine upset?

Blaine started when he heard a forceful knock at the door. He rose from his couch and went through the kitchen and paused at the door. He peaked through the peep-hole and saw the familiar black hair of his friend. He sighed, not really in the mood to entertain friends but he could not say no to this one. He opened the door a crack, "what's the password?" he demanded.

"I have movies and wine," Elise replied impatiently.

"Enter," Blaine decreed opening the door all the way. Elise stormed into the apartment and set her huge purse down on his kitchen table.

"We're not eighteen, you don't have to smuggle booze into my house," Blaine teased as she removed a bottle of white wine from the bag. She grinned at him and set it down and went rummaging in his china cabinets for glasses. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Can't a gal just bring wine and movies over and chat with her gay best friend?" Elise asked fishing two wine glasses from the shelf in front of her. Blaine shrugged and looked through her purse at the films she brought as she poured them wine.

"This late in the day though? It's already five in the afternoon."

"Well you haven't seen my lovely face in over forty-eight hours, so I figured you were overdue. Especially since you and Nate bailed on our double date last night."

"Sorry about that," he replied taking one of the DVD's out of its case and popping it into the player in his den. Elise came over with two full wine glasses and plopped down on his sofa as Blaine hit play on the movie. He and Elise had seen it at least a dozen times but whenever they watched it, it was usually just for background noise while they talked. Elise brought it with her, so Blaine assumed she was in the chatty mood. He settled down on the sofa next to his friend and took the glass of wine from her outstretched hand.

"Thanks," he muttered as he took a sip.

"So," she began as the opening credits rolled.

"I figured you didn't just come over here for a movie."

"_Obviously_ not. But you knew that when you let me in. So spill," she ordered, sipping delicately from her glass.

"About what? I've had a very eventful two days," Blaine groaned.

"Start from Friday. What happened? Where did you go? What did you do?" Elise gabbed, asking one question right after another.

Blaine heaved a sigh and settled in for a long story. He began with the shopping adventure he had with Kurt and how it had been pretty successful. She would pause and ask him short questions like which stores they went to. Eventually, he got to the fashion show bit and told her every detail about that too, including the hand-holding bit with Kurt. She wrinkled her nose at that part, but didn't make a comment about it. She laughed at his description of the fashion designer's collection heartily.

"Did he _really_ mix neon fabric with animal print in an evening gown?" she laughed.

"With sequins."

"Who would wear that?" Blaine shrugged his shoulders. "Alright, now what happened after the show?"

So Blaine told her about getting mobbed by the press and being blinded by the camera flashes. He talked about Kurt's diplomacy and how well he interacted with other people in the fashion business. He told her how he followed Kurt around for the most of the evening just smiling and making small talk. Then he got into his meeting with Meredith and how she offered him a position at the amateur show. He paused and sipped his wine.

"I assume the show didn't go well?" Elise asked glancing at the movie on the screen that was already half over.

Blaine swallowed the mouthful of wine, "what would lead you to believe that?"

"I know you and when you get excited, you're like a puppy. I wouldn't have made it through the door before you told me you won." Blaine nodded in agreement. "So what happened?"

Blaine sighed, the disappointment now fresh in his mind. "I sang 'Hey Jude' and played the piano. I came in second to a guy who was killer. He definitely deserved to win, he was _crazy_ talented."

"Then why so glum, chum? You said it yourself, he deserved to win," Elise pointed out.

Blaine shrugged his shoulders, "it was just one of the bigger shows I've played and there was good money if I came in first—"

"Did Kurt show up?" she cut in. He sighed looking down at his glass and back at the movie screen. "I thought so, I can read you like a freakin' book. What happened?"

Another sigh came from Blaine. "He showed up just in time to see me perform. I didn't see him until I went to leave. I was talking to people who watched the show and made my way to the main lobby. Kurt came in a few minutes later and said how well I did. He then told me he couldn't stay and talk for a while because _Glen_ was waiting for him at their apartment. We hugged and he went back to his fiancé."

"That's what's got you down, isn't it? Elise asked crossing her arms and swirling what was left of the wine in her glass.

"Why would I be upset? There is no reason for me to be upset about anything! Kurt made the time to come see me perform, I'm grateful he is such a good friend!" Blaine spat defensively.

Elise smiled at him smugly, "and yet you're upset."

Blaine opened his mouth to deny it but he couldn't, he _was_ upset about last night. He slumped down in his seat and downed the last of the wine in his glass. "Yeah," Blaine grunted. "I dreamed about him last night," he whispered turning back to watch the movie. "I dreamed about the day he broke it off. It was the _exact_ conversation we had over the phone five years ago."

"Oh, Blaine," Elise murmured setting her glass down and cuddling up to Blaine's side.

He rested his cheek on the top of her head, both of their gazes fixed on the television, "after the show Friday we went for a walk. He apologized for ending things on the note he had," Blaine gave a dark laugh, "you know what's funny?"

"What?"

"We were still _together_ when he made-out with Glen for the first time. He felt guilty about cheating and broke up with me the day after because he didn't want to lead me on. He didn't even tell me that until the other night," Blaine shook his head numbly, the short hair on the top of Elise's head tickling his nose. "I don't even think he would have told me if I hadn't asked."

Elise stayed quiet a moment, staring at the screen deep in thought. "You still love him don't you?" she asked quietly without moving her gaze from the screen.

Tears welled in Blaine's eyes and one fat drop slid down his face and disappeared in Elise's hair. "I don't even know _what_ I feel anymore. I still care for Nate, but I don't _love_ him like I loved Kurt. I thought after coming to New York I would have a clean slate and I could find another man to sweep me off my feet, that I'd find someone like Nate. And even after Kurt came back into my life, I thought I was safe because he's engaged. But…"

"You're still not over Kurt," Elise stated.

Another tear slid down Blaine's cheek, "no. I'm not."

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><p><em>Thank you for reading this chapter, stay tuned! Next chapter will be up on Thursday!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **_Good morning/afternoon/evening (in accordance to your time). I've got the new chapter for you and luckily, I didn't have computer problems like I did last Thursday when I tried to post. Hallelujah! Alright, so this is a shortish chapter (I know sorry in advance!). They only get longer from here on out though, so don't fret. _

_Thank you for all of your reviews. I was pleasantly surprised with how many I have been receiving lately and I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart because they mean so much. So thank you for the reviews and for reading and enjoy the new chapter!_

_I do not own anything Glee related._

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><p>Blaine hurried about the shop, making seven different coffee orders at once for the throng of people waiting in line. He went as fast as he possibly could, double checking he got each order right as he rang up customers. Today was uncharacteristically busy for a Tuesday afternoon especially since the day before had been extremely slow.<p>

He was grateful for the large work load because he was able to keep his mind occupied instead of having time to let it wander. All of Sunday and Monday he had been rather blue, having realized and accepted that he still had some lingering feelings for Kurt. Blaine refused to tell anyone else except for Elise because she is the only one who could really understand his muddy feelings. He resolved to keep Nate out of it as to not give him the feeling of being unwanted, because Blaine's feelings for Nate were still going strong. Having unearthed his feelings were difficult not only because he knew nothing could come of them, but because he knew they were the cause of his apprehension in his relationship with Nate.

Blaine and Nate ate lunch Monday and Nathanial had picked up on Blaine's sullen mood. He assured Nate he was just upset about the night of his show, which technically was vaguely truthful. Blaine had to cut their lunch short today because the usual lull in business at lunch time had turned into a frenzy when a group of tourists stormed the shop demanding coffee.

Most of Monday, Blaine was unsettled and hoped Kurt would come into the shop. Kurt had been to the shop a few days in a row the week before, so naturally, Blaine expected Kurt to make another appearance. He didn't. Blaine went home disappointed that Kurt didn't stop by, to upset that he let himself look forward to seeing Kurt. Luckily, Blaine didn't have the time to sulk today because of the crowd, even though dealing with the demanding tour group was frustrating and tiresome.

Slowly but surely, the line grew short and the tables were full of chatting people. Blaine and Elise breathed an audible sigh as the tour leader rounded the mob up and they all charged out of the coffee shop, digital cameras in hand for the day's adventure. Elise slumped against the counter and sat on the floor.

"That was intense," she sighed wiping spilled coffee off the floor.

"Can't say that I disagree," Blaine replied grabbing another towel to help Elise clean up the large coffee she spilled.

"Me either," came a voice from the other side of the counter. Blaine stood up in a shot, the coffee soaked cloth dripping in his grasp. "Tourists can be quite obnoxious. Hi, Blaine," Kurt said with a smile.

"Hey Kurt. Give me a minute and I'll get your coffee. Butter-fingers over here dropped a large on the floor," Blaine replied grabbing another towel and kneeling on the floor again.

"Not my fault! _You_ were in the way!" Elise barked mopping up the last of the spill.

"Blame it on the man, that's so typical. Perk to being gay? No wife!" Blaine joked standing up and offering a hand to Elise.

"Shut-up, you'd _love_ to have me as a wife," Elise grumbled taking his hand and rising to her feet.

"I don't know about that," Blaine snickered. Elise glared and playfully hit him in the face with her coffee soaked towel. The soaking cloth hit with a wet smacking sound and the coffee splattered all over Blaine's face and neck.

Elise guffawed, "you've got a little something on your face," she remarked before taking the coffee stained towels into the back room.

Coffee dripped down Blaine's face and clung to his eyelashes. He clamped his eyes closed to keep the hot liquid out of his eyes but some had already gotten in and his eyes were stinging and watering. "That was hot coffee!" Blaine bellowed as he blindly groped around the counter for something to wipe his face with. Elise's laughter could be heard from the back room of the shop.

"Here," Kurt muttered bringing up a cloth and wiped it gingerly across Blaine's dripping face. He cleaned up his neck and most of his face before coming up and gently dragging the towel across his closed eyelids. Blaine relished the closeness with Kurt even though he knew he shouldn't. "Reminds me of the first time you got slusheed after you transferred, only less dangerous" he remarked as Blaine opened his eyes and nodded in agreement.

Kurt had a small smile playing about the corners of his lips as he continued to wipe off Blaine's face. "That stuff was simply _terrible_ for the skin. Coffee however, can be used as an _excellent_ exfoliating facial," Kurt continued as Blaine stared up at him. "Those lashes are going to be sticky though. But that's what you get for having unnaturally long and gorgeous eyelashes."

Blaine just stood silent as Kurt got the remainder of the coffee off his face. He trailed the cloth slowly across the bridge of Blaine's nose and across his pink lips. Blaine swallowed nervously as Kurt swiped it across his lips and chin. He unconsciously licked his lips and suppressed a shutter as the cloth came around the side of his neck and Kurt stepped closer to get a better view. He dragged the cloth across his neck agonizingly slow, toying with Blaine and trying to get a reaction from him. Blaine drew a calming breath but trembled when Kurt slowly dragged the cloth over his bottom lip again. Kurt grinned and let his hand fall and he studied Blaine's face and neck, looking for anything he may have missed. "I think I got it all," he whispered tapping his index finger on the tip of Blaine's nose.

Blaine cleared his throat, "th-thanks Kurt," Blaine mumbled hoping his face wasn't as red as he feared it would be.

"You're welcome," Kurt replied politely setting the cloth down on the counter. "Grande non-fat mocha latte, please."

Blaine shook his head, "of course," he said and began the order as Kurt went back over to the other side of the counter. He quickly whipped up Kurt's order and rang it up. Kurt paid and then they went and sat at one of the many empty tables. Elise smiled at Kurt and cast Blaine a warning glance as she went outside with her lighter and a box of cigarettes.

Kurt sipped his coffee delicately and sighed contentedly, "sorry I didn't drop by yesterday afternoon, I was absolutely _swamped_ at work."

"Working on a new collection?" Blaine asked reaching over and breaking a piece off Kurt's biscotti.

"Not exactly. I'm just trying to get as much done as physically possible in the next two weeks so that I'm not too far behind when I get back to work."

"Get _back_ to work? From where?"

"My honeymoon. Glen and I are going to spend two weeks in Europe after the wedding. I officially put you and mister Nathanial on the guest list," Kurt replied.

Blaine's heart sank just thinking about the wedding, "can't wait."

"It is going to be fabulous, I designed _everything, _even the tuxedos. Speaking of clothes, I still have yours from Friday that you left at my apartment before the fashion show."

"Can you bring them to the shop with you at some point this week?" Blaine asked.

"Don't be absurd, I can bring them over to your apartment tonight. What's the address?" Blaine hesitated and reached in the pocket of his apron and withdrew a pen. He scribbled his address down on a napkin and slid it across the table to Kurt. "Excellent. I will bring your things over after I get off work."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," Blaine said genuinely.

Kurt waved his hand, "it's no trouble," he glanced down at his watch and got up from his chair, "speaking of which, I've got to head back to work. I'll see you tonight."

"See ya," Blaine replied as Kurt sauntered out the door.

As soon as Kurt was out the door and safely away from the shop, Elise stormed into the shop. "What the _hell_ was that!"

"What was what?" Blaine snapped getting up from the table and sweeping crumbs from the table top into his hand.

"You know damn well what, Blaine. You're doing a _fantastic_ job of getting over Kurt. If he kept wiping your face like that you'd have thrown him down on the counter and done him right there!" she exclaimed throwing her arms up in the air.

"It's not my fault Elise! Calm down! He was just being courteous!" Blaine retorted angrily.

"You didn't have to enjoy it so much," she mumbled starting another pot of coffee brewing.

"I'm trying Elise alright? I know nothing is going to come of it and just because I still have feelings for him, doesn't mean I would betray Nate's trust and destroy Kurt's relationship with his fiancé. So please have a little more faith in my self-control," Blaine shot back letting his acidic mood seep into his words.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just really, really don't want you to get hurt like my ex-husband hurt me, alright? I know how it feels and I wouldn't wish that kind of heart-ache on my worst enemy. Just be careful tonight and don't let your guard down for _your_ safety and _my_ sanity, okay?"

Blaine went over and pressed a kiss onto her forehead and hugged her close, "yes, mother dearest," he mumbled sarcastically.

"Damn straight. Now, let's mop up that sticky mess from the coffee _you_ made me spill."

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><p><em>Thank you oh so much for reading that short little chapter, the next one is longer though! And of course I will be posting the next chapter on Monday for you!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **_'Ello all! It's Monday and you know what that means! This is one of the more lengthy chapters and from here until the end, chapters are either going to be about this length or a little longer, so I hope you're up for it! So before I send you on your way to jump into this tale, I'd like to extend my deepest thanks for your support_ _and express the profound gratitude I have for all of my readers, whether you've read one sentence or have kept up with this story since the beginning. Thank you so much for everything and I hope you enjoy the chapter!_

_No, unfortunately I do not own any of the Glee related things mentioned in this, or any chapter.  
><em>

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><p>Blaine practically ran home after work to his apartment to clean up the mess before Kurt came by. He hurried about his apartment picking things up and putting them in their proper place. He vacuumed the floors, dusted, washed a few windows, and mopped in a panicked frenzy. His apartment was by no means messy or dirty but for whatever reason, Blaine felt like it had to be perfect for Kurt's visit, even if there was only a slim chance that Kurt would actually come inside and look around. He sprayed a floral air-freshener around his living room and flopped down on his couch, exhausted. The apartment was completely spotless and perfectly organized. Blaine's foot tapped nervously on the floor as he waited for Kurt to come over. He rose from his couch, unable to sit still.<p>

Kurt hadn't said exactly when he would come by and it was getting pretty late. He glanced at the clock and sighed when it read 8:30 PM. Maybe Kurt _wasn't_ going to stop in tonight. Maybe he and Glen had plans and he planned to just drop off his things at the coffee shop later in the week. An hour and a half of cleaning and freaking out was for nothing. Blaine kicked himself for actually caring what his apartment looked like to Kurt. He was equally disappointed that he had let himself look forward to having Kurt over his apartment. He sighed and fiddled with the vase of white roses Nate had given him that was set on the center island counter that doubled as his dining table in the kitchen. He glanced at the door to his apartment and back at the clock on the shelf under his television and heaved a heavy sigh. His anxiety quickly turned into melancholy and frustration with himself with a twinge of anger at Kurt for blowing him off.

Blaine glanced at the door once more in vain and headed deeper into his kitchen, suddenly craving something chocolate to ease his disappointment. He pulled out a mixing bowl and whipped up a small batch of walnut brownies and popped them into the oven. He licked the spoon and dropped it into the sink. The brownies had thirty minutes to bake so he decided to take a shower to kill time. He walked to his bathroom and stripped down, turning the water in his shower on as hot as it would go. Steam rose from the shower and he stepped in, relishing the hot burn of the water on his skin. The heat and the relaxing pressure of the water gave his attention something else to focus on other than his disappointment. He ran shampoo through his curls and massaged his scalp, trying to wash all thoughts of Kurt from his brain, though no amount of scrubbing could possibly accomplish that. Blaine slowly washed up, hoping his brownies would be done as he got out of the shower.

When his skin began to turn red and tingle from the heat of the shower, Blaine stepped out and slowly toweled off. He rubbed the towel across his head and ruffled his hair with it to dry it a bit so it wasn't dripping wet. He wrapped the towel around his waist and opened the bathroom door. Steam from his shower rushed from the bathroom and the cooler temperature of his apartment rose gooseflesh over his exposed skin. His whole apartment smelled of chocolate and flowers. He went over to the oven and turned on the light to see how his brownies were coming along. He hoped they would be ready by the time he finished his shower, but the timer on the oven still read just over ten minutes. Blaine sighed and trudged to his bedroom to get dressed for a lonely night of watching TV and eating warm brownies. He threw his towel into the hamper and grabbed a pair of boxers and plaid pajama pants and slipped into them, not bothering to find a shirt. His bare feet padded across the room and back to the kitchen where he stood in front of his oven, waiting impatiently for his brownies to finish cooking.

He reached up into the cabinet and pulled out a cooling rack for the brownies. He closed the door and went to put the rack on the counter but a loud banging sound froze him in place. The metal cooling rack slid from his fingers and hit the floor with a loud _clang_ in the silence of the apartment. He glanced over at the door, unable to will himself to move. After a moment, there was another knocking at the door again and Blaine snapped himself around and hesitantly headed for the door. He rose up on tiptoe and peered through the peep-hole, but the hallway was too dark to make out the tall figure standing in front of his door. He reached out gripped the knob in his hand, his knuckles going white with the effort. He turned the knob and opened the door a crack to see who was there. A sliver of light escaped his apartment and flooded over the figure in the hall. Blaine's heart stopped.

"Hello Blaine, sorry I'm a little late," Kurt apologized with a smile. Blaine remained silent, his one eye peering through the two-inch gap in the doorway. Kurt quietly cleared his throat, "may I come in?" Blaine looked from Kurt down to his naked chest and grew a little red. He sighed and opened the door all the way. Kurt's eyes went from Blaine's face right down to his chest before he could stop himself.

"Sorry," Blaine mumbled feeling awkward standing half-naked in front of his ex, "it was late so I didn't think you'd be coming tonight. Come in." Blaine stood aside and gestured into his apartment. Kurt's eyes trailed slowly back up to Blaine's face before striding past him into the apartment. Blaine saw the pink hue color Kurt's cheeks and knew his own face was just as red.

He closed the door behind Kurt, "I'll be right back," Blaine mumbled, turning his back to Kurt and heading for his bedroom.

Blaine walked as fast as he could without running to his room to get a shirt, all the while feeling Kurt's eyes on him. He fumbled through his drawers snatching a red tee-shirt that matched his plaid pants and yanked it over his head as he left the room. He finished pulling it on as he came back into the kitchen where Kurt was watching him from the doorway in the living room.

Kurt lightly shook his head and put on a grin, "you're apartment seems very cozy," he inhaled deeply, "and it smells like heaven! Baking something?"

"Yeah, brownies," Blaine replied just as the timer to the oven chimed, signaling they were done baking. "Have a seat," Blaine offered gesturing to the stools at the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"I really can't stay," Kurt sighed setting a paper shopping bag down next to the front door and clasping his hands together.

"But you just got here," Blaine muttered opening the oven and removing the pan of brownies from it. He picked the cooling rack off the floor and ran it under the sink water before setting the hot pan on it.

"I know, it's just that I didn't finish the dishes before leaving and Glen's home—"

"And Glen is incapable of doing dishes?" Blaine asked, allowing a little too much acid seep into his tone than he had intended. Kurt cast a quick glance at the door behind him before taking a seat on one of the stools at the center island. A smug smile touched Blaine's lips as he took out a knife and ran it through the brownies in straight lines, making a grid pattern across sheet. He threw the knife in the sink before taking out two plates and two glasses from the cupboard. He filled the glasses with milk and put a brownie on each plate before handing one of each to Kurt.

"Thanks," Kurt smiled raising the warm brownie to his mouth and taking a bite. "Mmmmmm…" he sighed, closing his eyes.

"Good?" Blaine asked, sinking his teeth into his own pastry.

"Delicious," Kurt replied taking a sip of his milk, "it's nice to have someone else bake for a change."

"Glen doesn't cook?"

Kurt laughed once, "no, not at all. I used to give him lessons but now he's just so busy with his law firm, he is exhausted when he gets off work and on the weekends we just don't have the time."

Blaine swallowed the last of his brownie before replying, "sounds like he's a bit of a workaholic."

"He can be at times," Kurt conceded, "but he's worked too hard to get to where he is now to just slack off."

"Right."

"But when he isn't working, he is a great guy," Kurt gushed.

"Well you've been with him for this long, so he must be something special," Blaine grumbled taking their empty dishes to the sink.

"You would like him."

_I seriously doubt that, _Blaine thought bitterly to himself.

"I have a fantastic idea!" Kurt squealed bouncing out of his seat.

"If it involves another monstrous fashion show, the answer is no," Blaine smirked.

"I won't make you endure that sort of torture again," Kurt giggled. "We should double date this weekend! I'd love to meet Nathanial and Glen has been asking to meet you."

_He probably wants to rub it in that he got you and I didn't, _Blaine thought. He put on a smile when he addressed Kurt, "sounds like a great idea," he chimed.

"How does Saturday night sound? We can go out to a bar and just have fun?" Kurt suggested.

"Sounds great," Blaine lied, already dreading having to watch Kurt hang all over Glen the whole night.

"Excellent, Glen and I can meet you in front of your apartment, there is a nice bar not far from here that Glen and I love. They play the _best_ music."

"Awesome," Blaine replied, coloring his voice with the excitement he didn't feel.

"It's settled then," Kurt nodded with a grin before striding over to the couch and plopping himself down and elegantly crossing his legs. "So tell me a bit more about Nathanial. Does he live in the city?"

Blaine walked around the island and sat on the other side of the white couch. "Yeah, not too long of a cab ride from here actually," he replied.

"Why don't you live together?" Kurt asked arching an eyebrow, "does he have a commitment problem or something?"

Blaine glared at Kurt, "no," he replied calmly, feeling the need to defend the shot at Nate, "we have only been together for a little over a month and we are taking it slow."

Kurt nodded, "date anyone before Nate?" he asked.

Blaine shook his head, "not since you."

"Why not?" Kurt asked, refusing to just let the topic die.

Blaine clasped his hands together and stared down at his fingers. He shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, refusing to admit to Kurt that he had crushed his spirit the day he left him. He didn't want to admit that Kurt had snuffed out his spirit five years ago, extinguishing his fire and casting him into a dark abyss with no match to find his way out.

Kurt watched him intently, waiting for a response but he didn't get a verbal one, the answer was written all over Blaine's face. He rose from his seat and strode over to the entrance to the apartment where he picked up the paper shopping beg he had brought with him. He came back over to the couch and put the bag on Blaine's lap. Blaine opened the bag and looked inside. All of his clothes from the previous Friday were neatly folded in there, along with his shoes. They smelled of dryer sheets, Kurt had obviously washed them.

"Thanks Kurt," Blaine murmured rising from his seat and taking the bag into his bedroom. Kurt followed behind him and leaned in the doorway as Blaine set the bag on his bed and began putting the clothes away. He set his shoes in the closet and hung his button-down shirt in there as well. He returned to the bag and reached in for the last thing in the bag, his dark denim jeans. He neatly refolded the pants and hung those in the closet as well. He made his way back over to the bed and picked up the bag, but it felt heavier than it should. Puzzled, Blaine opened the bag again and glanced inside to make sure he got all of his things from it. The sight made his throat close and his lungs forget how to draw breath.

Resting at the bottom of the bag was a familiar article of clothing, but one which he had _not_ worn the day he went shopping with Kurt. He looked from the bag and up at Kurt who had a small smile playing about the corners of his lips. Blaine reached into the bag and felt the soft cotton of the shirt, a shirt he had not seen for over five years. He lifted it from the bag and held it up, dumbstruck that it had made it back to him. It was a white shirt with thin, red, horizontal stripes he had let Kurt borrow when they first started dating in high school. He dropped his arms and looked back at Kurt who was still leaning against the door frame to his bedroom.

"Y-You still had this after everything that happened?" Blaine croaked.

Kurt smiled, "it wasn't mine to get rid of. It's yours."

Blaine looked down at the shirt in his hands, "I can't believe you kept it after all these years," he breathed.

"You're welcome."

Blaine walked over to Kurt and wrapped his arms around his shoulders, hugging him close, "thank you," he whispered against his neck. They held each other for a little while longer, standing in the doorway of Blaine's room, saying nothing. Blaine had missed this, having Kurt in his arms for longer than just a friendly hug. He missed the way his body fit with Kurt's just right. He missed the delicate smell of his pale skin. He missed being wrapped in his long and graceful arms. He missed feeling the angle of Kurt's jaw press against his temple. He missed Kurt.

Much too soon, Blaine felt Kurt lean away from him and he dropped his arms from Kurt's shoulders. "I should really get going," Kurt said, slowly making his way toward the front door.

"Thanks for stopping by Kurt, I-I really appreciate it," Blaine replied coming to a stop at the door to his apartment. He opened the door for Kurt.

"I look forward to Saturday night," Kurt replied stepping into the hall.

"Me too."

"Goodnight, Blaine."

"Night, Kurt." Kurt smiled and headed back down the hall the way he came.

Blaine slowly closed the door and quietly clicked the lock into place. He felt numb. He looked down at the shirt in his hands and ran his fingers across the fabric. It touched him that Kurt kept his shirt after all this time, and it hit him hard that such a small gesture made him so emotional. He brought the shirt up to his face and ran the soft fabric across his cheek, it smelled like Kurt. Tears were welling in his eyes and spilled down his cheeks as he looked down at the shirt again, unable to fathom that it had made its way back to him. Even though it was just a shirt, it was a piece of Blaine's relationship with Kurt that resurfaced and reconfirmed all the feelings he had for Kurt. Having Kurt in his arms again felt so right and so wrong because Kurt's heart belonged to someone else.

He slowly made his way to his bed and curled up under the blankets still clutching the shirt to his chest. Tears continued to fall and he began to audibly sob. His heart was aching from the new rift the innocent shirt had opened up, letting all the old heartache he had felt five years ago come spilling over his body. He clutched the shirt to him like a lifeline as he sobbed uncontrollably over the man he swore he'd never cry over again and for the first time in years, Blaine Anderson cried himself to sleep.

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><p><em>That's all I have for you today! Thank you for reading and stop by Thursday for the next chapter!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **_Hello, hello, hello! New chapter for you all, hope you like it! Thank you for reading, thank you for your reviews and your support! Enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>The rest of the week passed by quicker than Blaine would have liked. Each afternoon Kurt would stop by for his lunch break shortly after Nate left to go back to work, and every time Kurt came by, Elise would watch cautiously from behind the counter. She was glad Blaine and Nate were going to double date with Kurt and his fiancé and she hoped that the date would finally make Blaine realize that Kurt is unavailable and that his feelings for his ex will evaporate.<p>

Blaine hoped for his own sanity they would just disappear. He didn't even tell Elise he cried himself to sleep the night Kurt brought his things over. He didn't want her to know how much Kurt was tearing him apart inside because he didn't want anyone else to know the depths of his pain, not even his best friend. He slept with the shirt like a security blanket for two nights before he finally snapped himself out of it and crammed the tear stained shirt in the bottom drawer of his dresser. This was definitely the worst week he has had since coming to New York. He put on a brave face every day he went into work for Elise and the customers, but inside he was screaming.

Nate had declared excitedly that he would love to meet Kurt and Glen and double date, which was both a relief to Blaine that Nate didn't suspect his feelings for Kurt, and a disappointment because the only way he could have gotten out of the date was if Nate did not agree to go. However, Nate was ecstatic about meeting new people that his boyfriend knew. So for the rest of the week, Blaine dreaded Saturday night for the simple fact that Kurt would be with Glen, not him. Kurt would dance with Glen, not him. Kurt would go home with Glen, not him. And it was killing him to think about it. Not only will seeing Kurt with Glen together be painful, meeting the guy who is engaged to Kurt and who effectively stole Kurt from him will also be awkward. What will he even say? 'Hey asshole, thanks for stealing the love of my life from me?' _No_. He was going to have to plaster on a fake smile and watch them together and pretend like nothing was wrong. At least they were going to a bar so if the evening turned out terribly, he could always drink himself into a numb stupor. Either way he looked at it, Saturday night was going to suck.

On Friday night, Nate came over to Blaine's apartment and they watched a sappy love movie Nate brought over in an attempt to be romantic. Blaine glared at the screen throughout the duration of the film, envious that the characters were so carefree and had a happily ever after. The only hope Blaine had of a happy ending was if the wedding between Kurt and Glen gave him closure, and a miracle was definitely needed for that to magically happen. Nate had picked up on Blaine's sour mood even though he had tried to hide it, but Blaine just lied, saying he had a migraine and let Nate cuddle up to him under the blanket on the couch.

The most unsettling thing of the week was Nate. Up until that week, their relationship seemed like a fairytale and Nate truly was his knight in shining armor, but now things felt off. He didn't get butterflies in his stomach whenever he thought about Nate and when they kissed, there were no fireworks. On their date, Nate attempted to be seductive and started kissing Blaine's neck as the credits started to roll but the contact felt wrong. He asked Nate to stop and claimed his head was pounding and he wasn't ready for that kind of intimacy just yet. Nate was distraught at first, but didn't press further and left after tucking Blaine into bed for the night.

Blaine glared at the ceiling for hours, unable to fall asleep. What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he feel so distant from Nate? Where was the romance they shared? Were his feelings for Kurt to blame? He hoped not. He hoped that the only reason it wasn't as lovey-dovey was because they were past the "honeymoon" phase of the relationship and they were settling into a comfortably warm romance. There was no way he was going to let his feelings for Kurt mess up what he had with Nathanial.

All Friday night he stared at the ceiling unable to fall asleep until the sky outside his window began to lighten and turn light grey. Only then did he finally pass out. He was woken up by the shrill ring of his cellphone on his bedside table. He rolled over and squinted through his tired eyes at the caller ID.

"Hello?" he rasped, his voice still thick with sleep.

"I'm sorry babe," Nate replied, "did I wake you?"

"Yeah," Blaine croaked rolling over and checking the time on his alarm clock, "holy shit, it's five in the afternoon?"

"Yes it is sleepy-head. Sorry I woke you, I figured you would be awake by now."

"I should have been," Blaine chuckled sleepily.

"Why were you still asleep? Usually you're such a morning person."

"I couldn't fall asleep until early this morning," Blaine replied as he flung the covers off and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

"Your migraine keep you up?" Nate asked, concern coloring his voice.

"Yeah, migraine," Blaine lied.

"Are you feeling better today?"

"Much better," Blaine replied trying to sound like his old chipper self.

"Good. Are we still double dating tonight?" Nathanial asked.

Blaine internally groaned, "if you still want to go."

"Of course! I'll come over around 7?" Nate asked.

"Sounds good," Blaine replied rising from his bed and stretching his limbs.

"Bye Blaine."

"See you later."

"I love you."

"Bye Nate," and he hung up the phone. He threw the cell onto his nightstand and rubbed his eyes.

Thankfully Nate believed his migraine lie because Blaine did not want to have to explain the real reason why he didn't go to sleep until the sun started coming up. He wished that he had told Nate that he didn't feel up for the date, but then Nate would have insisted on coming over to take care of Blaine and though it would be thoughtful, Blaine didn't feel like faking sick for a few hours. He sighed and hastily made his bed, not bothering to fix the hospital corners at the ends of his sheets. He must have had a fitful sleep when he finally did go to sleep because all his sheets were twisted into a mass at the foot of his bed.

Once his bed was made well enough, he dragged himself into the shower and stood under the water, singing a mash-up of different songs to keep his mind from wandering. He took his time washing up, and managed to kill a half an hour before he finally got out of the shower. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist before getting ready. He brushed his teeth and shaved his face before setting about fixing his hair. He broke out a tube of hair gel and squirted a small dollop into his hand before rubbing his hands together and combing his fingers through his damp curls. He stood in front of the mirror and meticulously arranged his curls so that when they were dry, his head wouldn't resemble the brush chimneysweeps use.

Once he was satisfied with his hair, he meandered back into his bedroom and stood in front of his closet, deciding what to wear. He had no idea what he wanted to wear, the only thing he wanted to do was to look damn good tonight to make Kurt jealous. Blaine chucked to himself, _I'm trying to make a nearly married man jealous. _He shook his head because it was true, he had spent all the extra time getting ready so that he looked good not for his current boyfriend, but for an ex. This Kurt thing was getting out of hand and yet, Blaine still stood in front of his plain wardrobe waiting for inspiration to hit him. He began pulling garments from his closet and placing them on the bed, trying to decide what he wanted to wear. Usually, he would just pull on whatever, but tonight he had to impress _three_ people: his boyfriend, his ex-boyfriend, and his ex-boyfriend's fiancé.

He stood back and looked at the shirts, ties, vests, sweaters, and jackets he had splayed out over his bed. He began pairing different articles together, trying to get an idea of what he wanted. Eventually he had narrowed it down to three possible looks. He stared between the three looks and tapped his finger on his chin. After a good five minutes of weighing his options, he decided on a royal blue button up shirt, black sweater vest, and a black, blue, and silver striped bow-tie. He smiled at his choice and put all of the other clothes neatly back into his closet. He grabbed a pair of black jeans that hugged his hips and black shoes from his closet. He glanced at the shoes and frowned at the large scuff mark across the toe of the left shoe. He snatched the shoe polish from his dresser and ran the thick paste over both shoes until they were black and glossy again. He threw the damp towel into the hamper and dressed in his trousers and socks before heading back into the bathroom. He was examining drying his hair in the mirror when he heard a loud knock at the door. He snatched his robe off the hook behind his bathroom door and put it on to cover his naked chest and crossed his apartment to the front door.

He peered through the peephole and saw Nate standing in the hallway with a white rose in his hand. Blaine put on a smile and opened the door. "Hey Nate." Nate grinned at Blaine and held the rose out to him. Blaine brought the flower to his nose and inhaled its delicate aroma. "Thank you." Nate wrapped his arms around the shorter man's waist in the doorway and pressed his lips to Blaine's. Blaine could feel Nate's lips curl into a smile but he himself didn't feel anything more than pressure against his lips. No butterflies. He sighed and pulled away, "Are you planning on coming inside, or are we just going to stand in the doorway?" Blaine asked. Nathanial chuckled and stepped back, taking Blaine by the hand, and lead him back into the apartment. Blaine quietly closed the door behind them and turned toward his boyfriend. He was wearing a simple red v-neck tee-shirt under a black blazer paired with dark-wash denim jeans, and dressy black shoes. "You're here early," Blaine stated.

Nate quickly glanced down at his watch to check the time, "actually, I'm five minutes late." Blaine glanced around Nathanial at the clock by his television and it read 7:05. "What time are Glen and Kurt meeting us here?"

"Kurt said eight."

"You're not planning on wearing a bathrobe and jeans tonight, are you?" Nate asked with a mock cringe as he studied Blaine's attire.

Blaine glanced down at his ridiculous get-up and shook his head, "I got off to a late start so I'm not finished getting ready. Make yourself comfortable while I finish," Blaine offered placing the white rose in the vase on the center island that contained the other roses Nate had gotten him. He made his way back into his bedroom and went back to his bathroom to finish getting dressed.

He removed his robe and hung it back up on the hook behind the door. He patted his curls one last time, just to make sure they were going to stay down. Satisfied with his hair, he applied deodorant and spritzed his neck and wrists with a fancy cologne he reserved for special occasions. He recapped the bottle of cologne and set about putting the bottles and tubes that littered the counter of his sink back in their proper places. He was so focused on reorganizing the counter of his sink, he was startled when a pair of hands came from behind him and wrapped around his waist. Blaine chuckled nervously, hyperaware of Nate's clothed chest pressed against the naked skin of his back. "I have to finish getting dressed."

Nate bent his head and pressed his lips to Blaine's shoulder, "no you don't," he breathed against his skin. He began trailing kisses up his shoulder and along the length of his neck. "Do we _have_ to go out tonight?" he whispered in Blaine's ear.

"We already said we would, it's too late to back out now," Blaine retorted, hoping Nate would take the hint and release his waist.

"We can just pretend you're still sick and I can stay the night and take _care_ of you," Nate murmured seductively against the skin of Blaine's shoulder.

"Nate, not tonight," Blaine replied flatly.

"_Please_?" he whined in his ear. "I am _so_ into you right now," he growled nipping Blaine's earlobe.

Blaine sighed and turned around to face Nate who pressed closer to him, effectively pinning his hips against the sink counter. Blaine reached his arms up and brushed his fingers gently through Nathanial's hair. "Not tonight," he murmured gently, looking up into Nate's eyes.

Nate look dejected, "I don't want to rush you into doing what you're not ready for, but I want you. _So bad_."

Blaine put on a small smile, "I know, just not tonight. I care for you, I really do. Just not tonight."

"When?"

Blaine thought a moment, "when the moment is right for _both_ of us."

Nate heaved a heavy sigh, "okay."

Blaine smiled and pressed his lips lightly to Nate's, "now let me finish getting dressed before the other half of this double-date arrives." Nate stepped away and the both went into Blaine's bedroom.

Blaine lifted the long-sleeve blue button-down shirt from his bed and put it on, neatly rolling up both sleeves to the elbow. He slid his feet into his shoes and tied them up as Nate watched his every move. He snatched his bow-tie from the bed and neatly fixed it around his neck, making sure his collar was lying flat. To finish off his ensemble, Blaine slipped the black sweater-vest over his head and smoothed it down. He crossed the room and examined his reflection in the mirror.

He turned around and faced Nate, who had plopped himself down on Blaine's bed. "How do I look?" he asked.

"Very sexy," Nathanial replied with a smirk.

"Thank you," Blaine replied, blushing and slipping a watch onto his wrist. "It's almost eight, do you want to wait outside?"

Nate shrugged, "sure."

Nate rose from the bed and both men crossed the room and headed out of Blaine's apartment. They stepped out into the warm June air and picked a bench to sit down at next to Blaine's apartment complex. Nate wrapped his arm around Blaine's shoulders and they settled in to wait for Kurt and Glen to arrive.

Nathanial was keeping up a one-sided conversation about a book signing he did earlier that day. While Nate was happily chatting away, Blaine grew more and more anxious about the coming events. He was genuinely nervous about meeting Glen, not because he was afraid that he would judge Blaine, but he just did not want to face the man who stole Kurt's heart and who will be married to him in one week from today. Thinking about the closeness of the wedding put a sour feeling in the pit of Blaine's stomach. Hopefully they wouldn't talk about it too much tonight.

A cab pulled up to the curb in the distance and two figures stepped out, hidden by the shadow of the buildings. Blaine could see Kurt's silhouette as he reached back through the window of the cab and paid the driver before the taxi pulled away. The two shadows linked hands and began walking toward Nate and Blaine who were still seated at the park bench under the bright street light. As the figures got closer, the light from the street lamp illuminated them, revealing Kurt and who Blaine assumed to be Glen. Nate took Blaine by the hand and they both rose from the bench and started walking towards Kurt and Glen. Blaine's pulse raced as they moved closer together and it was practically pounding out of his chest when he and Nate came to a stop, facing the other couple.

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><p><em>Yikes! Sorry for the cliffhanger guys! I'll post the next chapter on Monday! Tune in to find out what happens next! Thank you for reading!<br>_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **_Hi guys! So about that cliffhanger last week... yeah sorry about that. But never fear, the new chapter is here! Thank you for reading, thank your for your reviews, and thank you all so much for your support. Alright, without further adieu, new chapter! Enjoy!_

_Of course I do not own anything Glee related mentioned in this chapter, nor do I own any of the music either._

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><p>"Hi!" Kurt chirped, giddiness coloring his voice. "Blaine, this is Glen. Glen, Blaine," he said gesturing between Blaine and the stranger holding Kurt's other hand. Glen stepped forward and held out his hand to Blaine.<p>

"Glen Ayers," the man said grasping Blaine's hand.

"Blaine Anderson," he replied as the men shook hands.

Glen had a firm handshake, a _very_ firm handshake. Not the reassuring kind of firm handshake you give to someone, it was borderline painful. Glen had big, strong hands that squeezed Blaine's to the point where he could feel the bones of his knuckles shifting from the pressure. The handshake did not feel friendly, it felt menacing. Glen stared down at Blaine with a gaze that was not comforting or friendly, it felt cold. He took Blaine in with his eyes, sizing him up and Blaine did the same, but he attempted to do so more subtly.

Glen was tall, an inch or so taller than Kurt, but not quite as tall as Nathanial. He had a slight build to him, but he didn't look like he regularly worked out to build more muscle. His hair was brown and clipped too short for it to be styled. And his eyes were ice green and cold as he glared at Blaine. Something told Blaine that Glen was not excited about meeting him and Blaine was sure he felt just as enthusiastic about meeting Glen. That handshake lasted just a few seconds but Blaine sensed the disdain Glen felt for him in just that one "friendly" gesture. They parted and Glen stepped back and wrapped an arm around Kurt's waist.

Blaine smiled tightly and played it off as if that silent stand-off hadn't happened, "Kurt, this is my boyfriend Nate."

Nate stepped forward and shook Kurt's hand warmly with a genuinely happy smile stretched across his lips. "Nathanial Wise, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Kurt Hummel," Kurt replied with a smile of his own. Once Nate and Kurt's hands parted, Nate thrust his hand toward Glen to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Glen."

Glen glanced at Nate's hand and grasped it briefly, "likewise," he responded without any inflection.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, why don't we get this show on the road?" Nate asked looking at the members of the group.

Kurt nodded, "we can walk to it from here. Follow me," he chirped taking Glen by the hand and they started walking further down the sidewalk. Nate offered his arm to Blaine who took it and they followed closely behind Glen and Kurt.

The whole walk Blaine's eyes were fixed on the two men in front of them. He watched as Kurt would playfully bump Glen and how he possessively wrapped his arm around Kurt's waist. As they walked, Glen's hand slipped lower and lower down Kurt's back until it reached Kurt's backside. Kurt reached behind him and took Glen's hand away, the back of his neck blushing a little red. Blaine watched as Glen kept performing small gestures like the ass-grab during their walk, knowing that Blaine and Nate were watching them. He'd pull Kurt in and kiss his neck and wrap an arm around him or hold onto one of Kurt's belt-loops. These gestures seemed innocent enough, but Blaine felt like Glen was trying to establish that Kurt was his, sort of a marking territory gesture. Eventually, they reached their destination, a small bar/dance club that Blaine knew of, but had never actually been to. Their party made their way into the bar area and they all seated themselves at a table.

"I have never been to this bar. I thought they played music?" Blaine stated glancing at the food and drink menu.

Glen rolled his eyes but Kurt was the one to reply, "they start playing the actual club music around 11:00 but until then it's more of a restaurant-type thing. It's definitely different than the other clubs in the city. I thought if we came here we could get the dinner and the dancing."

Blaine nodded, "makes sense. Good call." One of the waitresses came by and took their drink orders and shortly after, the same waitress returned with their cocktails. "So Glen," Blaine started to keep up conversation, "Kurt tells me you own a law firm?"

Glen absently swirled the drink in his glass, "yes I do. It is doing quite well. One of the fastest growing firms in the city, actually."

"Wow, that's impressive!" Blaine said trying to sound enthusiastic despite Glen's detached reply.

"It is. But it's no surprise. I graduated top of my class from law school two years ago so success was inevitable. After the wedding, Kurt and I are moving to a more exquisite apartment on the other side of the city closer to my firm." Blaine nodded, Glen sounded pompous, but when you're as accomplished as he was, you could afford to get away with it.

"Thank you for inviting us to your wedding on such short notice," Nate added politely, "Blaine and I are looking forward to it."

Kurt waved it off, "it was no trouble at all! I'm glad you both can make it."

"So Blaine," Glen continued after Kurt had finished speaking, "what do you do for a living?"

"I work at a small coffee shop a few streets down from here."

"That's it? You _did_ go to college didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I only finished two years—"

"Couldn't handle it?"

"It's not that, it just wasn't right for me at the time—"

"So you're content making minimum wage at a coffee shop? Don't you want to do anything with your life?"

"Well I came to the city to do something with music—"

"That's realistic," Glen scoffed into his glass, taking a long drink.

Blaine tried not to look as offended as he felt, "I enjoy working at that shop and even though I don't make great money."

"So you're going to settle for mediocrity?" Glen asked.

Kurt looked at his fiancé and threw a subtle elbow into his ribcage. Blaine could not hide the irritation that colored his features. He took a deep breath through his nose before responding, "I'm sorry if _you_ think that working in a coffee shop is _mediocre_, but I _love_ my job and quite frankly, I'd rather work for a small wage and have the time to spend it with people I care about instead of working a high-paying job that takes precedence over the ones I love," Blaine retorted, taking an obvious shot at Glen and his work habits.

The air at the table grew tense after Blaine's retort. Kurt was open mouthed and staring between Blaine and his fiancé. Glen blinked and raised an eyebrow before letting loose a condescending laugh and saying, "to each his own..."

Nate cleared his throat, "Kurt, Blaine tells me you're a fashion designer?" he jumped in, trying to change the subject towards a lighter conversation topic.

Kurt jumped at the opportunity to talk about something else and he and Nate excitedly talked about fashion and the latest trends. Blaine tried to keep up, laughing along at their jokes and occasionally adding something to the conversation. Glen didn't say much, he just wrapped his arm around Kurt and watched his fiancé talk excitedly about clothes. The waitress came by with their orders and they all fell into conversations that were much less tense. Glen asked about Nathanial's book and Kurt asked about his musical composition and Blaine, Nate, and Kurt talked about music and performing. They covered a seemingly endless array of topics as the night wore on.

Throughout their conversation, Blaine would find himself staring at Kurt more than he knew he should, he looked exceptionally handsome tonight and it was very distracting, even in the dim lights of the bar. He was wearing skin tight jeans, an interesting shirt with brass buttons and zippers crisscrossing in dazzling patterns, and a light jacket that he slung over the back of his chair. Though they always had some kind of contact between them, Blaine was glad that Kurt and Glen weren't all over each other like he feared they would be because he wasn't sure how much of that he would be able to watch.

They all finished their drinks and ordered another round, and by the time the dance floor opened and the DJ began playing music, they had finished their second round and the rest of their food. The base was too loud for them to carry on a casual conversation, so Kurt jumped up and dragged Glen to the dance floor. At first they just started dancing to the beat but by the second song, Glen had dragged Kurt around and began grinding on him. Blaine couldn't watch that any more so he ordered another drink and waited for Nate to come back from the bathroom.

As the songs changed, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Nate with his hand extended, an offering to dance. Blaine downed the rest of his cocktail and let Nathanial lead him to the dance floor. The booming base faded out and a Spanish beat took over. Nate was always an incredible dancer and he spun Blaine around the dance floor to the song. Blaine laughed and played up his movements and his interactions with Nate in hopes that Kurt and Glen were watching. When Nate spun him in a circle he glanced back at the table and saw Kurt and Glen eyeing the pair of them. Blaine smiled wider and danced with his boyfriend, glad that Nate was such a good dancer.

When the song ended Blaine turned to his partner, "want some water or something?" Nate nodded, a little out of breath and he and Nate went over to the table and ordered some water.

"You never said he could dance like that!" Kurt shouted over the beat of the next song.

"I used to teach classes at a youth center," Nathanial replied without seeming like he was bragging.

Kurt nodded, seeming impressed and the music changed again and the booming base was no longer present. Instead of a typical club song with a heavy base, a new, much more upbeat song began to play. Blaine knew this song, he knew it all _too_ well. The song that was playing was none other than "Dancing Queen" by _ABBA_, the very song he and Kurt had danced to at Junior prom. Blaine glanced at Kurt out of the corner of his eye and saw Kurt looking straight at him.

He turned to face Kurt and his hand extended toward him seemingly on its own accord, "may I have this dance?" Kurt looked at Blaine's hand outstretched before him, stunned at the question. At first his already porcelain cheeks paled, all the color draining from them. But then he looked back up at Blaine's eyes and a red hue had crept back up his cheekbones. He looked back at the hand and then took it and let Blaine lead him to the dance floor.

Blaine put his right hand at the small of Kurt's back and gripped his right hand in his left. Kurt tentatively placed his left hand on Blaine's shoulder, letting it rest there lightly. Blaine stepped off and began to lead Kurt around the dance floor around the other couples. At first, Kurt's movements were stiff and uncomfortable, but by the first chorus, he had loosened up and a smile began to tickle his lips. Before long he began to lightly chuckle. "What's so funny?" Blaine asked, unable to keep himself from laughing along with Kurt.

Kurt shook his head, "prom," he laughed.

Blaine smiled, "you're missing your crown though."

"Oh God that _crown_," Kurt guffawed, "what a disaster that night turned out to be."

Blaine shrugged, looking up into Kurt's eyes, "I don't think it was a total disaster—"

"I was crowned _Prom Queen_, Blaine."

"Well it could have gone better," Blaine admitted, "but, we had each other and after the whole queen fiasco, we had a great time because we were together."

Kurt smiled, "yeah, we had it pretty good for a while."

Blaine nodded, "we had it great."

Kurt looked down at Blaine and back at the table, "Nate seems like a great guy."

Blaine looked back at the table and saw Nate and Glen chatting, "he really is, I'm glad I have him in my life," he responded looking back at Kurt.

"Are you in love with him?"

Blaine sighed and looked away from Kurt and back at Nate. He inhaled a deep breath, and shook his head, "no, not yet."

"Why not?"

Blaine shrugged and shook his head, "I don't really know," he said watching Nate laugh with Glen, "it just doesn't _feel_ right. Like something's missing and I don't know what," he admitted looking back at Kurt. "Don't get me wrong I care about him, I really do, but he's just not…" Blaine stopped himself.

"He's not what?" Kurt asked over the final verse of the music.

_He's not you, _Blaine wanted to say, but he just shrugged, unable to answer. The song ended and faded into another base-heavy club number. Blaine's hands slipped to Kurt's waist and he pulled him into a quick hug. It didn't last long, but Blaine still enjoyed the contact though it was brief. Kurt smiled and both men headed back toward the table where Glen and Nate had stopped talking and were watching them approach. Glen scooped Kurt into his arms and glued his mouth to his. Blaine felt a knot in his stomach and turned away, unable to watch them.

Nate smiled and wrapped him up in his arms and pressed a light kiss across his lips, "do you want to head out? It's midnight and I have a meeting with my publisher tomorrow morning and I should get to bed."

Blaine nodded and turned back to Glen and Kurt who had stopped tongue wrestling. "We are going to head home," he told them.

Glen glanced at his watch and nodded, "we should too," he agreed.

The quartet made their way through the entrance, struggling through the throng of people at the door who were trying to get into the club. Once outside Nate hailed a cab. "It was nice meeting you!" Nate called over to Kurt and Glen who smiled and agreed. He opened the door and gestured for Blaine to get inside.

"I can walk home from here," Blaine said.

"I'll walk you home," Nate offered closing the cab door.

Blaine shook his head, "no you take this cab, I'll be alright."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

Nate pulled Blaine into his arms and kissed him sweetly. He pulled back and cupped Blaine's face in his hands, "I love you."

"Goodnight, Nate," Blaine replied. Nate smiled and kissed his cheek before stepping into his taxi and driving away. Blaine turned to see Kurt and Glen behind him.

Glen stepped up to the curb and looked down the street for a taxi. "Oh!" Kurt gasped, "I left my coat at the table! I'll be right back!" he exclaimed and fought his way back through the crowd at the door, leaving Glen and Blaine alone on the sidewalk.

The distance between Glen and Blaine was awkward, a stifling awkwardness that made Blaine's skin crawl. "So did you have a good time?" Blaine asked trying to make the situation less tense.

"Look," Glen sighed turning to face Blaine. "I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, but don't even think about it."

Blaine cocked his head to the side, "I'm not sure I'm following..."

Glen heaved a sigh that sounded more like a growl, "don't play stupid, Mr. Anderson. I saw you with _my_ fiancée tonight. I don't know what is going on in that simple-minded head of yours, but let me just make one thing _painfully_ clear, Kurt is _mine_. You had your chance five years ago and you blew it, so back the _fuck_ off. He is mine, and he will always be _mine._"

Blaine's eyebrows knotted together in confusion, "what the hell is your problem? I am in my own relationship and you're getting married to him in less than a week. What makes you think I am the _slightest_ bit interested in Kurt?" he demanded.

"I deal with liars every day at work Mr. Anderson I'm an attorney it's what I do, and you aren't fooling anyone. I see the way you've been watching him, you look at him more than your own damn boyfriend. And you can't take a hint can you? He is in love with _me_. He is getting married in one week to _me. _He left you for _me. _Sensing a pattern here? You are _nothing_ but a pain in my ass that won't go away. Do yourself a favor and just leave Kurt alone."

"So you're _telling_ me I can't be Kurt's friend?"

Glen looked down at him with a disdainful set about his mouth, "not in those exact words, but if that's how you interpret it, then yes."

"I think it's _Kurt's_ decision as to who he wants in his life," Blaine fired back.

Glen stepped close to Blaine, staring down at him in an attempt to appear intimidating, "save yourself the trouble, leave Kurt alone."

"Why are you so bothered by me?" Blaine asked with a smug smile on his face, "afraid of a little competition?"

"You are not _any_ sort of competition," Glen spat, adding extra inflection for emphasis.

"You know what I think?" Blaine asked, "I think you're scared of me. You think I'm a threat."

"Let's get one thing straight," Glen snarled, "you are _nothing_. You mean nothing to Kurt. If you meant anything to him, why did he _leave_ you? If you were good for him, why was he driven into _my_ arms? He is only nice to you because he feels guilty for breaking your little heart with that phone call. If he really wanted you, he would be with you. But he's not. It's time you grew up and got over him."

Blaine cringed, Glen's words sticking to his brain and worming their way deeper, taking root and replanting seeds of defeat. _He's right… but there's no way in hell I'm going to let him know that._ He put on a front and shrugged, "seems like you're pretty sure of yourself… and yet, you're still afraid of me," Blaine hedged, cocking his head to the side and eyeing Glen.

"Oh please," Glen replied waving his hand, "fear you? A _child_ fears the monster under his bed, or something that goes bump in the night. Now if you were the monster under _my_ bed, the only _bump _in the night you'd hear was Kurt and I on top of it," he growled, a sinister smirk curling his lip. Blaine's mouth fell open before he clenched his jaw and ground his teeth together. Then he laughed, a harsh chuckle that made Glen raise an eyebrow. "Care to share your amusement?"

"You forget," Blaine said, "Kurt and I have history. I was his _first_ bump in the night, and no matter how much you bitch about it, it's something you'll never have."

Glen's nostrils flared before he inclined his head and smiled. "History is meant to stay in the past Mr. Anderson. You are his past. _I_ am his future, the _best _future. Do you really think to win him over with coffee and coins? Hmm? Don't bother entertaining laughable thoughts in that inane head of yours for I assure you, nothing will become of them because _you _forget, Kurt is in _my _bed tonight. And _every_ night," he growled with a wink.

Blaine opened his mouth to retort but out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Kurt making his way toward them through the crowd. Glen stepped back and flagged a taxi as it was driving by. He then turned and smiled to Kurt as he walked toward them. Blaine shook his head and fixed a smile onto his lips, trying to look like nothing was wrong. Inside, he was boiling with rage over that pretentious son of a bitch, Glen Ayers.

"Got it," Kurt exclaimed holding the jacket up, "sorry I took so long."

"It's alright sweetheart," Glen replied, "Blaine and I were just chatting about the city, weren't we Blaine?"

Blaine nodded tersely, "yeah, Glen seems to be quite knowledgeable about _everything_."

Kurt smiled, "I'm glad you two get along so well, we will definitely have to go out again like this another time."

Glen nodded stiffly, "oh yes, after our honeymoon we should do this again."

Blaine gave a nod in agreement, "definitely. Well, I've got to get home so I'll see you later."

"It was nice meeting you, Blaine" Glen said extending a hand.

Blaine looked at it before gripping it hard, mimicking the not-so-friendly handshake Glen had given him at the start of the night. He was pleased to see the corner of Glen's false smile waver and almost become a grimace as he grinned up at the pompous bastard, "and you, Mr. Ayers."

"Goodnight Blaine, I'll probably stop by the shop Monday," Kurt said stepping towards Blaine. He hugged Blaine tightly. Blaine looked at Glen from over Kurt's shoulder and gave the man a smug grin as he wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist.

"See you Monday, Kurt," Blaine replied as they parted. Glen opened the door of the taxi and Kurt slid into the seat. Glen got in next to him and slammed the door closed in Blaine's face before the taxi pulled away from the curb and headed into the New York night.

Blaine let out an exasperated sigh and headed for home. He'd had a bad feeling about Glen all night and that little argument was just conformation that he was no good. Why did he feel the need to try to intimidate him like that? Did he really expect Blaine to just walk away?

He stormed up the steps of his apartment and locked himself away, still wide awake from sleeping the entire day. He didn't bother to properly hang up his clothes as he stripped down and slipped into pajamas. He sat down on the couch in front of the television and turned it on, desperate for something to take his mind off his confrontation with Glen. He flicked through the channels, eventually settling on a documentary. He numbly watched the screen, still too angry to just let himself enjoy the program.

_What an asshole,_ he thought bitterly to himself, _what can Kurt possibly see in him? _What _did_ Kurt see in him? He was handsome to be sure, but his pompous façade was ugly and if he was like this all the time, why would he want to be with someone like that? Blaine hoped for Kurt's sake Glen wasn't an asshole all the time, and if he was why does he stay?

_Because he's in love with him, idiot, _Blaine's brain chimed in, sending a sting down to his scarred heart. His mind was swimming with everything Glen had said and it was eating at him like an acid. He was right. Kurt chose him over Blaine and that was the sticking point that was hard for Blaine to let go of. Kurt picked Glen and _not_ him.

He frowned at the screen, tonight seemed like it was just another nail in the coffin for Blaine and his damn feelings for Kurt. On the dance floor with Kurt he felt more whole that he ever had with Nate. With Kurt, everything was right and that was what was most unsettling. Blaine laid himself down on the couch and closed his eyes, losing himself in his thoughts. He recounted the evening and he couldn't stop thinking about his dance with Kurt. He had come so close to just telling Kurt he still had feelings for him and he mentally slapped himself for being so foolish. What if he had? Would Kurt have let him down easy, or shoot him down in flames? Blaine was glad he had sense enough to keep his mouth shut.

As he thought about the evening, his thoughts became muddled and his mind wandered back to prom. Thoughts of years past tumbled through his head as he fell into sleep, his dreams suffused with images of a time long past when everything was simple and whole.

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><p><em>Hopefully that made up for the cliffhanger I made you suffer through. Next chapter will be posted on Thursday! Thank you for reading!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **_Hey everybody! __So last chapter was a bit of a doozy, glad to see you all hating Glen as much as I hated writing him. Any-who here is the new chapter for you all. A bit filler-ish but it sets some things up for later on. Thank you for reading and your continued support! Enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter. I do not own any of the literature quotes either._

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><p>Monday couldn't have come soon enough for Blaine, his whole weekend was just mentally and emotionally exhausting. The date Saturday night was a complete disaster because Kurt's fiancé is a royal asshole and rubbed his relationship with Kurt right in Blaine's face. Blaine couldn't decide which was worse; having to watch Glen grind on Kurt all night, or when Glen verbally slapped him across the face in an attempt to save him the "trouble". Too late for that, thanks to Glen, that heart-ache happened five years ago. It was sure to happen again at the wedding on Saturday, but Blaine prayed that the wedding would be more closure than pain. If that was the case, Blaine needed to keep his feelings in check and dancing with Kurt to their prom song was not the way to do it.<p>

Blaine had woken up thinking about that dance from Saturday night and beat himself up for being so irresponsible with his emotions. From the moment he had woken up on his couch Sunday morning, to the time he went to bed that night he fumed about Saturday night. Nate had called left Blaine a message to go out to lunch but Blaine didn't pick up his telephone to talk to Nate. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He just wanted to sit alone in his apartment and sulk and let his anger boil over. So he did.

He paced his apartment for hours, unable to sit still, just reliving the entire evening, always ending with Glen's angry tirade how he lied to Kurt about it. He didn't deserve Kurt. Blaine decided that around noon while he was attempting to eat lunch. Glen had money and he was attractive sure, but his pompous attitude was absolutely vile. Why did Kurt put up with that? What on Earth does he _see_ in Glen? Blaine couldn't figure it out and spent the majority of his Sunday afternoon composing a list of Glen's good and bad points. Needless to say, the bad points far outweighed the good.

Thankfully, Monday morning came and woke Blaine from a restless sleep that left him feeling exhausted. He only ended up getting a total of four hours of sleep, so today was going to be an exceptionally long and tiring Monday. He dragged his body into work and opened the shop sluggishly. Usually, he had the whole shop opened and scones baking in the oven by the time Elise arrived, but this morning he barely had all the chairs on the floor when she came in the door.

"Late this morning?" Elise asked shrugging out of her jacket as she came through the door of the shop.

"No, I just have a horrible case of the Mondays," Blaine retorted going into the back room. He gathered an assortment of ingredients from the shelves and the refrigerator and set about whipping together his famous scone batter.

"That's why you didn't bring your guitar to work? You only leave it at home when you're upset. What's wrong?" she asked donning her apron and joining him.

"Nothing," Blaine grunted splashing milk into his mixing bowl. He began stirring the contents of the bowl with his whisk, refusing to meet Elise's gaze. She stood by his side, arms crossed as she waited for him to crack and tell her what was up. Blaine sighed, "can you hand me the baking sheet?" he asked.

"Sure, can you tell me why you're so pissy this morning?" she fired back.

"Look," Blaine sighed looking up from his bowl, "I'm just tired alright? I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why?" Elise pressed on.

"I just didn't," Blaine snapped in an attempt to end the conversation.

"For Christ's sake Blaine Anderson! What is wrong with you!" Elise boomed slamming the baking sheet down on the counter. "You're not tired, you're being an ass. Just because you feel like shit doesn't give you license to act like a little bitch! Now tell me what the hell your problem is so I can help you! Don't shut me out."  
>Blaine glanced down at the contents of his bowl and continued stirring it, refusing to meet Elise's angry gaze. He swirled in the contents of the bowl absently and added a few handfuls of dried cranberries. What was he going to say? Was he going to tell her about the date? About having to watch Kurt with Glen most of the night? About Kurt and him dancing to a song that meant a lot to both of them? About how completely horrible Glen is? Or should he talk about how he spent his Sunday afternoon sulking and reliving the night before? He had no idea where to begin.<p>

Elise reached out and covered his hand that was stirring the batter. He sighed and looked up at his friend, "tell me," she asked, her eyes pleading with him.

He dropped the whisk into the bowl and took out a table spoon, "okay," he began. He scooped out a large dollop of the scone mixture and plopped it down on the empty baking sheet. As he placed all the dough onto the sheet, he recounted the double date he went on Saturday night, not leaving out a single detail. He spoke of the conversations and the dances and Glen's outburst.

Elise listened in silence, nodding her head and helping Blaine with the scones. Her mouth popped open in shock when he recounted his confrontation with Glen to her word for word. Once he finished telling her about the date, he gave her a brief description of his dreary Sunday afternoon, sparing most of the details of the distress he felt.

Elise placed the unbaked scones into the hot oven and set the timer before turning back to her friend, "just a case of the Mondays, eh?"

"Okay, that was a bit of an understatement," Blaine admitted with the first smile he had worn since Saturday.

"Just a bit," Elise jeered washing out the mixing bowl and the utensils. "That Glen guy is a real jerk, isn't he?"

Blaine nodded, "in all honesty, I didn't think we would be best friends right away, but I expected him to be courteous at least. It's not like he has anything to be upset about anyway. He is the one who stole Kurt from _me_! Not the other way around!"

"Sounds to me like he's jealous," Elise pointed out.

Blaine shook his head, "why should he be? He and Kurt are getting married in less than a week. What do I matter?"

"You have a history with Kurt. You were his first love—"

"But Kurt _left _me for him. If that isn't enough proof that I mean nothing to Kurt then I don't know what is!"

"Still doesn't negate the fact that Glen is jealous of what you had with Kurt and is threatened by you. No one is that much of an ass without good reason, though I'm sure he is a jerk to more people than just you, he is a lawyer after all" Elise pointed out. "He doesn't sound like my cup of tea."

Blaine nodded in agreement, "I'm just going to have to learn to like him because as of this Saturday, he will be Kurt's _husband_," Blaine spat, the words tasting sour in his mouth.

"Are you okay about that?" Elise asked, her brow furrowing with concern.

Blaine shrugged, "I honestly don't know at this point. I mean I'm happy that Kurt's happy, but I still care about him more than I should and I can't say that I approve of his choice of husband. Though, I don't think I could ever approve of any husband he chose unless it was…"

"You?" Elise finished. Blaine nodded. "I know it's hard, but just focus on what you have with Nate, maybe spend less time with Kurt and more time with Nate?" Elise suggested.

"I know I should," Blaine admitted. "I just don't _know_ anymore."

Elise pulled Blaine into a hug, "I know you'll be alright. Just keep your chin up," she said kissing him on the cheek. "And if all else fails, wine is _always_ good." Blaine chuckled and shook his head. "Come on," Elise said, "we need biscotti."

For the rest of the morning, they busied themselves in the kitchen, making a myriad of different baked goods for the customers to purchase. The atmosphere of the shop was much less tense now that Blaine had told Elise why he was so upset and he _did_ feel better talking about it to someone else. The morning passed by quickly, Blaine kept himself busy to keep his mind from wandering to topics he did not want to explore any more. The crowds began to dwindle around noon and Nate came into the shop with sandwiches for him and Blaine. They ate their lunch outside in the warm summer sun.

"I tried calling you yesterday to ask if you wanted to go to lunch or something," Nate said after a while in silence.

"Oh yeah I got your message late last night, I was uh…" Blaine paused for a brief moment, grasping to think of a legitimate-sounding excuse, "walking in the park most of the afternoon. It was such a nice day and I wanted to be outside."

Nate smiled, "the weather was really good yesterday. I wish I could have gone with you."

"Me too," Blaine lied.

"So what do you think of Saturday night? Did you have a good time?" Nate continued.

Blaine hesitated a second, "y-yeah of course I did. I had a lot of fun with you and Kurt and Glen, did you enjoy yourself?"

"I had such a great time. I enjoyed going out with Kurt and Glen, that was a great idea and we should definitely do it again when they come back from their European honeymoon. We are still attending the wedding, right?" Nate asked. Blaine nodded. "Oh good! Kurt and I were discussing the whole thing when you got up to use the restroom at one point, it sounds like it is going to be quite the event, and Kurt is quite the character! I can see why you had a thing for Kurt all those years ago," Nathanial chuckled lightly.

Blaine laughed along with Nate, "that was quite a few years ago," Blaine agreed.

"Glen was nice too, and really put together. He's is incredibly smart and a lawyer too, Kurt really landed himself a catch!" Nate went on. Nathanial went on about the whole date which is precisely what Blaine did not want to talk about. Eventually, the conversation died down and Nate kissed Blaine goodbye as he left the shop to return to work. Blaine went back to work behind the counter with Elise. He wasn't working long when Kurt came strolling in the shop. Blaine felt his stomach flutter at the sight of him and he immediately started making Kurt's usual coffee order.

Kurt was giggling as he made his way up to the counter, "what if one of these days I want a different coffee order?"

Blaine froze, halfway done with Kurt's order, "do you want a different one? I can make a different one."

Kurt's lips stretched into a delicate smile, "no Blaine, my usual order please."

Blaine nodded and finished putting together Kurt's coffee order. He rung up the purchase and both men headed over to their usual table. Kurt sipped on his coffee and began chattering about his day at work and the new designs he is working on. About halfway through the conversation, Kurt flipped the subject entirely.

"So, what did you think of Glen?" he asked excitedly.

Blaine smiled, "he is a very intelligent man," Blaine began.

"He is," Kurt agreed, "did you like him?"

Blaine hesitated, picking at the half-eaten pastry in his hands. What was he going to say? No Kurt, your future husband is a total asshole? He couldn't do that to him. So instead he put on as genuine a smile as he could and said, "definitely, he is a really likable guy," Blaine lied, "you sure picked a winner Kurt."

"Yes I did," he said with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I can't believe the wedding is so _close_. It seems like yesterday we got engaged."

"Funny how fast time flies."

"It really does. Speaking of time, some old friends of ours are flying in tomorrow," Kurt said raising an eyebrow.

Blaine took the bait, "who?"

"Mercedes, Tina, and Santana are meeting up and are flying in from California and will stay with Rachel in her apartment in the city. Noah and Lauren are flying up from Florida. My father, Finn, and Carole are flying in on Friday afternoon," Kurt replied ticking off the long list in his head.

"You still keep in touch with that many people?" Blaine asked.

"Well I have tried to keep in contact with everyone, but the communication just died between some of us. Do you still keep in touch?"

Blaine shook his head, "I used to, but we all just kind of grew apart I guess," he admitted, neglecting to tell Kurt that he had shut everyone out after he moved back to Ohio to live with his parents.

Kurt shrugged, "it happens. I took the day off tomorrow so that I can pick everyone up from the airport on time so I'll be rushing around like a mad person for the majority of the day, but that's nothing new," Kurt laughed effortlessly. "This week is going to be so incredibly hectic, tomorrow is when most of our old friends are flying in, Wednesday is my final tuxedo fitting, Thursday is my bachelor party, Friday is when my family is flying in and I have to check the venue and the florist and just make sure everything is ready for Saturday."

"Sounds like you are in for a busy week."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. You should tag along, you can catch up with the girls."

"I'd love to Kurt, but—"

"No 'buts', Blaine Anderson. You can come to the fitting with me and the girls on Wednesday and of course you are coming to the bachelor party," Kurt rattled.

"I don't know, I have work—"

"You can take a Wednesday off and the bachelor party isn't going to be too crazy, but Santana was involved in the planning, so I'm not so sure if that is entirely truthful or not. Please Blaine? I _need_ you to be there Wednesday, I need another man's opinion of my suit!" Kurt pleaded.

Blaine looked up into Kurt's pleading, blue eyes and all his resolve dissolved, "alright, alright I'll go. I'd love to help and I haven't seen anyone in years so it'll be nice to catch up."

Kurt bounced out of his chair, "thank you, thank you!" he cheered lightly bouncing on the balls of his feet. He checked his watch, "I have to get going," Kurt said pulling Blaine into a tight hug, "thank you so much for doing this for me," he said against Blaine's ear.

"I'm happy to help," Blaine replied relishing the embrace.

Kurt released Blaine and planted a kiss right on his cheek, "I really appreciate it. I'll see you Wednesday!" he called as he left the shop.

"S-See you Wednesday," Blaine replied breathlessly to the empty shop. His cheeks were beet-red, he could feel the heat flooding his face. His hand came up and touched the spot Kurt kissed, his brain unable to comprehend that it had just happened. His stomach erupted in a fit of butterflies and a smile danced about the corners of his lips as his emotions went haywire. He turned back towards the counter, his hand still resting on his cheek and found Elise staring at the grin on his face and the deep blush.

She shook her head at Blaine, "'thus with a kiss I die'."

Blaine dropped his hand from his cheek and placed in on his hip, "clever. Plagiarizing Shakespeare now?"

Elise shrugged, "It's not plagiarism, it's a quote and I felt it was fitting. _Romeo and Juliet _didn't have a happy ending you know."

Blaine nodded, "do you have any other Shakespearean words of wisdom?"

Elise thought a moment before replying, "'Expectation is the root of all heartache'."

"Appropriate," Blaine commended.

Elise shrugged, "'Love is heavy and light, bright and dark, hot and cold, sick and healthy, asleep and awake— it's everything except what it is'."

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><p><em>Thank you for reading! Next chapter for you on Monday! See you then!<em>

_~Jess  
><em>


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **_It's Monday, so here is the new chapter! Sorry last chapter was a litter filler-like but it was a necessity, hopefully this chapter makes up for it a bit! On another note, this story is quickly reaching it's conclusion, with a little less than ten chapters left. I want to thank you so much for sticking with me and this story for so long, and I hope you'll stay with me until the end but if not, I still thank you for your support and I appreciate it greatly. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and supporting the story and enjoy the new chapter!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>The next few days went by fast and before he knew it, Blaine was waking up Wednesday morning and preparing himself for the day. Today, he is supposed to go with Kurt and the girls to Kurt's final tuxedo fitting for his wedding to Glen this Saturday. Ordinarily, spending time with Kurt and catching up with friends he hadn't seen in years would be fantastic, but the occasion bringing them all together was not one he would have chosen. Tuesday afternoon, Kurt had come into the coffee shop briefly and gave Blaine the plan for today. He would meet Blaine at his apartment around two o'clock and he and Kurt would meet the girls at the shop where the fitting is taking place. Luckily, Elise gave Blaine the day off, even though she gave him a yet another warning about keeping his feelings in check.<p>

Blaine spent all morning readying himself, spending more time getting ready for this day than he had for the double date. He needed to look especially good because he needed to impress more than just Kurt today. Though he knew his old friends wouldn't judge him based on his appearance, he felt the need to look good to impress them; he needed to feel like the old, confident Blaine. He stood in front of his closet for long stretches of time, scattering his room with different garments. Now was one of those times he wished he had shopped more instead of just buying the same shirts in different colors. He threw clothes all over his bed, at a loss of what to wear. Twice he seriously considered the blue button up shirt he wore Saturday night but he couldn't bring himself to wear it again so soon.

_Dear God, Kurt is rubbing off on me,_ he thought to himself as he tossed the blue shirt aside again. He smiled to himself and shook his head because it was true, until Kurt came back into his life, he didn't give a damn about what he wore. Now he was back to his old self, thoroughly contemplating his outfit choices before making a final decision. He glanced at all the different options scattered over his bed, hanging in his closet, and draped over his dresser. Clothes were literally all over his room, and he still had no idea what he wanted to wear. Should he go for something simple or more dressy? He just could not make up his mind.

He paced his room, circling all of his options like a hawk, waiting for some sort of inspiration to hit him. He glanced at his slim collection of cardigan sweaters he had ruled out earlier and decided to reconsider them. He only had three of them, and he couldn't remember the last time he had worn one. He glanced between the three, deciding on which one to choose. Eventually he settled on a navy blue button down cardigan sweater. Satisfied, he rummaged through his collection of shirts, trying to decide which style and color he wanted to wear with the sweater. He cast shirts aside left and right until he stumbled upon a white button down shirt with a blue plaid pattern on it. He held the shirts together and smiled to himself.

"Perfect," he crowed. He swooped through the room and cleaned up the remainder of his clothes, carefully putting them away in their proper place. Once the room was tidy, he walked over to his closet and picked out a pair of khaki pants to wear with his cardigan ensemble. He laid the outfit out on his bed, complete with complimentary socks and shoes and smiled at his choice, pleased with the outcome of his frantic outfit search. He glanced at the clock and noted he still had two hours before Kurt was due to arrive, so he hurried into his bathroom and showered. He shaved his face and brushed his teeth and lightly gelled his hair to perfection, keeping his curls in line but not plastering them to his scalp. Satisfied with his appearance, he dressed himself and studied his reflection and smiled at his choice.

He glanced at the clock once again, hyper aware of the time and it read one-thirty. Blaine silently patted himself on the back for his timing, having just about thirty minutes until Kurt arrived. He paced about his apartment, anxiety making it impossible for him to sit still. After a while, he decided to eat a quick lunch. He made himself a sandwich and watched the clock slowly tick down as he ate.

He couldn't decide what part he was most anxious about; being around Kurt, seeing old friends, or the tuxedo fitting. At the moment, it was pretty much even. What was he going to say to the girls about living in Lima? Should he be ashamed? Probably not, but he felt like it was a failure in his life that he would rather keep to himself. They are sure to ask about what he did after high school. Blaine hoped they wouldn't press, and if Rachel is as high-strung as she used to be, he was sure if he could just get her talking about her career, she wouldn't stop.

He finished his lunch and stared at the clock ticking down to two o'clock. He watched the second hand beat out an even tick in time with his pulse. He only had five minutes left. He watched the minute hand slowly wind down until two, completely focused on the little metal hand. There was a sharp knock at the door and Blaine jumped, too engrossed in the clock that the foreign sound made his heart race faster. He placed his hand over his heart and walked over to the door. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

The initial smile he wore on his lips went from an excited grin to a wavering tight-lipped smile in less than a second. Instead of Kurt standing at the door, it was Nathanial. Blaine recovered quickly, plastering on another big smile.

"Hey!" he greeted his boyfriend, "what are you doing here?"

Nate smiled in return, "I could ask you the same question." A confused look passed over Blaine's face. "I went by the coffee shop today and you weren't there. I couldn't see Elise so I got concerned that you weren't feeling well."

Blaine felt his neck grow hot. _Shit, I forgot to tell him. _"Yeah, sorry. I uh… took the day off."

Nate smiled a tight smile, "needed a mental health day?"

"N-No," Blaine stuttered scratching the back of his neck nervously, "I made plans."

"Oh," Nate replied, looking dejected, "what kind of plans?" he asked nonchalantly.

Blaine shifted awkwardly from foot to foot in the doorway of his apartment, "Kurt—"

"Hi Nathanial!" came a chipper voice from the hallway. Nate turned to his left and smiled at the source of the voice; Blaine knew who it was before the figure stepped into the view of his door frame. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything," Kurt commented coming to a stop next to Nate in the hallway.

"Not much," Blaine replied.

"Do you two have plans?" Nate asked, motioning between Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt nodded excitedly, rocking back on his heels, "oh yes! Some old friends of ours from high school flew in yesterday for the wedding and we are meeting them to go to my last tuxedo fitting and to go out for dinner."

Nate grinned, "that sounds like a fantastic afternoon," he replied politely.

"You are more than welcome to join us," Kurt offered glancing at Blaine who nodded reluctantly.

"Oh no, I couldn't intrude," Nate asserted, "I would feel horrendously out of place among you and your old friends."

"I think you would fit in quite well," Kurt replied with a smile.

"Will Glen be there?" Blaine couldn't help but ask.

Kurt looked at Blaine as if he had just asked if the sky was green, his eyes taking on that classic "Kurt" look, sarcasm without words. "Of course _not_," he practically spat, "you are _never _supposed to let the groom see his partner in the wedding wardrobe until the day of the wedding, it's bad luck."

"Right," Blaine muttered.

"So are you coming with us?" Kurt turned to Nate again.

"No, I think I'll have to graciously bow out of this invitation, I have to get back to work. Have fun," Nate replied. "It was nice seeing you Kurt," Nate said shaking hands with him.

"Good seeing you too, Nathanial."

"See you tomorrow?" Nate asked Blaine who nodded in reply. He smiled and leaned in, placing a gentle peck on Blaine's lips. "Bye, baby."

"See you tomorrow."

"I love you."

Blaine smiled in reply and watched as Nate retreated down the hallway of his apartment.

Once he was out of sight, Kurt turned back to Blaine with a tight smile on his lips, "you two are so damn cute."

Blaine laughed once, "thanks. Shall we get going? If Rachel is anything like she used to be, I'm sure she would hate to be kept waiting."

"She is still the same Rachel, and yes we should," Kurt replied with a smirk.

Blaine snatched his wallet and his apartment keys off his counter and followed Kurt back into the hallway, locking the door on his way out. They strode side by side down the hallway and left Blaine's apartment, hailing a taxi on the curb in front of the brick building.

"So," Blaine began once they were settled in the taxi, "what's been going on with the girls? Are they still the same motley bunch from back in the day?"

"Oh yes," Kurt giggled, "some of them haven't changed a bit."

"Who are we meeting today?"

"All the girls that flew in for the wedding. Rachel, Mercedes, Tina, Santana, and Lauren," Kurt replied, ticking of their names on his fingers.

"And they haven't changed much?"

Kurt gave Blaine a knowing smile, "I'll let you be the judge of that, but I think they are almost exactly the same as always, just more mature."

Blaine nodded, "I never actually asked where we are going."

"It's one of the best bridal shops in the city."

"Bridal? You're not wearing a dress are you, Kurt?" Blaine teased.

"No!" Kurt squeaked, playfully smacking Blaine's arm, "they have a men's department."

Blaine rubbed his arm and shook his head, "what color is the suit?"

Kurt gave a smug smile and crossed his arms delicately, "you'll have to wait and see."

"Oh, the suspense is _killing_ me," Blaine wailed melodramatically.

Kurt rolled his blue eyes, "you were always one for theatrics."

"_You're_ one to talk! You wore a kilt to prom!"

"And I looked fantastic."

"Yes you did," Blaine conceded.

Kurt gave a nod, having proven his point, "you certainly weren't complaining."

"As I recall I did at one point. But only out of concern for your safety, of course"

"Touché," Kurt replied with a nod. "I was tempted to wear one today, but decided last minute to change."

Blaine glanced at Kurt's outfit, trying not to let his eyes linger too long. Kurt wore a military-style deep green jacket with canted patches and brass buttons adorning it. Paired with jacket was a white collared shirt, tight blue jeans, and black knee-high boots. "Kilt or no, you look great."

"I try," Kurt replied with a grin, "I can say the same for you. My presence has obviously cured you of your fashion quandaries."

Blaine grinned, "it must have been that fashion show you took me to. It made me rediscover my love of leopard print evening gowns."

Kurt giggled, covering his mouth with one of his delicate hands, "well regardless of your inspiration, I'm glad I was able to help."

"Thank you, fashion fairy godmother," Blaine snickered and Kurt rolled his eyes once more.

"You are more than welcome," he replied as the cab came to a sudden stop, "looks like we're here."

The men stepped out of the cab and Kurt paid the cabbie his fare. They crossed the street and approached a lavish storefront with extravagant wedding dresses and a few tuxedo clad mannequins behind the display glass. Blaine opened the door and held it for Kurt who smiled graciously and strutted into the store. They strode over to the front desk where a short blonde woman was whispering to herself and sifting through a stack of paperwork.

"Hello," Kurt greeted the woman, "I have an appointment for a tuxedo fitting."

"Name?" she asked dragging her fingers quickly over the keys of her computer.

"Hummel."

She typed the name into the computer and quickly scrolled down, scanning the list of names. "Kurt?" she asked.

"That's me," he replied with a smile.

"Take the door to the left and head down the stairs, I think there is one appointment before you so you are welcome to wait in the waiting room. I believe your party is already waiting for you in there."

"Thank you," Kurt replied and he and Blaine headed for the stairs. The place was lavishly decorated, obviously a very expensive store. The stairs were carpeted with a plush, white carpet that deadened the sounds of their foot fall. Once they reached the bottom, they rounded the corner and found a row of chairs, filled with five chatting women. When the door opened and the two men came through, they all looked up in unison, huge grins spreading across their faces like a cascade of dominos.

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><p><em>Sorry I had to cut it off right there but I'm trying to keep the chapters from being ridiculously long, so please forgive that ending. The next chapter shall be posted on Thursday, see you then! Thanks for reading!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **_Happy Thursday everyone! Hope you all are having a lovely week thus far and hopefully you enjoy this chapter too. _

_In this chapter you will re-meet a few familiar faces from the show and I hope you have as much fun reading them as I had writing them all._

_Thank you ever so much for your reviews and your continued support. Thanks for reading and enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>All five girls sprang from their seats and rushed the two men as they walked in the room.<p>

"Look who the cat dragged in!" Santana remarked scooping Blaine into a hug.

"Santana you haven't changed a bit," Blaine replied squeezing her lightly.

"Okay, my turn," Mercedes joked lightly hip-checking Santana out of the way. "How have you been, boo?" she asked squeezing his shoulders.

"Fantastic, and yourself?"

She giggled, "I'm doing good."

"Blaine!" Rachel trilled skipping into his arms, "why haven't you told me you were in New York? We have so much to catch up on! What have you been up to? How long have you been here?"

"It's good to see you too, Rach," Blaine snickered.

"Come here, short stuff," Lauren said opening her arms and sweeping Blaine up in them, "have you gotten taller?"

"Ha-ha, very funny."

"It's the hair," Tina giggled mussing it gently with her fingers, "it's not slicked down so the curls give him an extra inch."

"You got me!" he shrugged hugging Tina briefly, "at least it isn't an afro. I can easily grow one of those and add another three inches."

Kurt, who was currently hugging Mercedes, looked over her shoulder at Blaine with repugnance plastered all over his face. He pulled away from his friend and said to Blaine, "if you _ever _try that, I will personally shear your head."

"You don't like the curls?" Blaine asked patting his hair in mock self-consciousness.

"The curls are fine, but I draw the line if said curls stop looking cute and start looking like a sheep," Kurt retorted putting his hands on his hips.

"Sheep are cute," Blaine pouted, jutting his lower lip out.

"Not when one is growing from your scalp," Kurt added, his tone effectively ending the debate.

"I think sheep are cute," Santana smiled looping her arm through Blaine's.

"See? I'm not the only one!" Blaine grinned victoriously.

Kurt just rolled his eyes. The party meandered back to the chairs in the waiting room and waited for the appointment to begin. They only had to wait a few minutes because shortly after, a man in a designer suit and a stout older woman entered the waiting area.

"Kurt Hummel?" the man asked. Kurt rose from his seat and the rest of the group followed his lead. "Right this way ladies and gentlemen."

They followed the man and the woman through another door at the other end of the hall and entered a much larger room with suit clad mannequins striking various poses around the room. They crossed through the display floor and were lead through another much wider hallway with four rooms lining the walls. The rooms were separated by elegant glass doors, the brass knobs adorned with luxurious scrolling designs. The older woman opened the last door on the right and ushered the group inside the glass room.

Inside, there were two white viewing couches situated in front of a smaller changing room that was curtained off for privacy.

"Right this way Mr. Hummel," the man in the suit said gesturing Kurt toward the curtained off area. He opened the curtain for Kurt who stepped in and closed the curtain behind him, flashing an excited smile to the group. "Have a seat," the man said waving a hand at the couches. The woman who showed them their room stormed past the group as they took their seats, a garment bag cradled into her arms. She opened the curtain a crack and slipped the bag into the changing room for Kurt.

"Let me know when you finish dressing. Then I come in and check the fit," the older woman ordered in a thick Russian accent.

"Thank you," came Kurt's disembodied voice from behind the closed curtain. The woman nodded curtly and stormed out of their room without acknowledging the group on the couch.

"Sorry," the man in the suit apologized, "Irina isn't always the most personable, but she is an excellent seamstress," he said glancing at the retreating frame of the woman. "I'm Henry." The man in the suit went down the line shaking everyone's hands as they introduced themselves. Blaine was sitting at the end of the couch and Henry shook his hand last, giving Blaine a subtle wink, effectively flushing Blaine's cheeks. "So," Henry began, clasping his hands together, "the wedding is this weekend?" Everyone nodded in unison. "So are you lovely ladies and dapper gentleman part of the wedding party?"

"Not in the literal sense," Tina replied politely.

"The wedding isn't exactly _traditional_ so there aren't bridesmaids or any of that," Mercedes continued.

"We were originally, but the distance between all of us made planning all of it too stressful and near impossible, so we all agreed to make it all about the two grooms," Rachel stated, matter-of-factly. "Though, I was elated when Kurt asked _me_ to sing at the reception."

"Slow your roll, Broadway," Santana snipped, "you're not the only one singing on Saturday."

"Thankfully I'm not the only one, otherwise I would captivate my audience and detract from the real stars of the day, the newlyweds," Rachel replied with a nod.

Blaine snickered at their playful banter that was very reminiscent of their old interactions in the choir room back in high school. No one had changed at all, bringing a smile to his lips. As the girls were describing the wedding to Henry, Irina came back into the room with black silk fabric in her hand as she made her way over to the curtain. "Are you dressed?" she asked on the other side of the curtain.

"Yes, come in," Kurt replied. Irina slid into the curtained off room with Kurt. Less than a minute later she slid back out of the room and gripped the curtain, "are you ready to see?" she asked the group on the couch. The women all locked hands with each other on the couch, Santana locking Blaine's hand in her own at the end of the couch. Irina smiled and whipped back the red curtain in one quick jerk. Kurt stood in the fitting room striking a pose with an elated grin spread across his face from ear to ear.

Unintelligible gasps and exclamations sounded from the couch as the five girls erupted in excitement. Kurt laughed at their reaction and turned in a slow circle so they could take in the full scope of his ensemble. The suit was perfectly tailored to fit him, accentuating the elegant grace of his body. The suit itself was bright white with only a few striking pops of black with the bowtie, silk pocket square, vest buttons, and black piping along the lapel of the suit jacket. A smile graced Blaine's lips and he studied Kurt as he strode over to the full length mirror to the right of the couch. Kurt looked himself over in the mirror, obviously pleased with the suit, the girls keeping up a steady stream of compliments.

Kurt glanced at Blaine in the reflection of the mirror, "Blaine, you're awfully quiet. What do you think?" he asked turning around and facing the group on the couch. Blaine canted his head to the side and pursed his lips, "please say something, you're making me think there is something horribly wrong," Kurt said giving his reflection a fleeting glance before turning back to Blaine.

"I'm surprised your eye for detail didn't catch it," Blaine teased, rising from his seat and striding over to Kurt who watched him with an arched brow. Blaine stopped just in front of Kurt with his back to the girls and reached up, untying the bow from Kurt's collar. He stretched it out and smoothed it down quickly before looping it around Kurt's neck again facing the other direction. "The seam of the tie was showing," he explained without meeting Kurt's watchful gaze. His hands moved deftly, tying the bow neatly around Kurt's neck, all the while aware of all the eyes on him, especially Kurt's. Blaine smoothed out the collar of the white shirt over the retied bow and smiled up at Kurt who was only a few inches away. He slowly ran his palms over the shoulders of the jacket and swept a bit of lint off the lapel.

"And?" Kurt breathed, his exhale tickling Blaine's forehead.

"You look very, _very_ handsome," Blaine murmured smiling up at Kurt. Kurt's eyes warmed as he returned the smile.

"Adorable," Henry sighed, hands clasped over his heart. "You two are one of the cutest couples I've ever seen in here."

Kurt glanced down at Blaine who was slowly turning a slight shade of red. He cast a quick glance up at Kurt who also had a slight shade of pink dusting his cheeks. Kurt laughed lightly, edging away from Blaine and looked back at Henry who was smiling at the pair of them.

"No, no," he breathed, waving his slightly for emphasis, "Blaine and I are not engaged. We are just friends."

Henry unclasped his hands and covered his mouth, "oh I am so terribly sorry," he blurted quickly. "I just thought that— And you were— He—," Henry stammered nervously glancing apologetically between Kurt and Blaine.

Kurt laughed, diffusing the tension, "it's quite alright Henry, really."

Henry quickly changed his tone and put a smile on his face, letting loose a relieved laugh, "so Blaine," he began turning to the shorter man, "you're single then?" he chuckled and winked.

Blaine blushed deeper and chuckled, waving it off, "no, I am in a relationship."

Henry snapped his fingers, "oh damn," he teased. "Oh well, you know what they say, all the cute ones are either straight or taken." Everyone laughed, along with him, even the girls who had fallen dead silent during those few tense moments. "I do agree with Blaine though, you look simply _dashing_ Kurt!"

Kurt beamed at Henry as he turned back to study his reflection in the mirror, Blaine studying him from behind. "It really fits perfectly," Blaine remarked as Kurt glanced at Blaine's reflection.

"That's the whole point," Kurt replied turning around and studying the back of the suit in the reflection of the mirror.

"So," Irina began, having been completely silent since Kurt came out of the dressing room, "the fit is good? Need no more changes?"

Kurt looked over at the woman and shook his head, "I don't think so, this is _exactly_ what I had envisioned. Just picture it with a red boutonniere," Kurt gushed twirling in a small circle.

"A vision in white," Blaine agreed seating himself back down on the couch with the girls.

"I think we're all set," Kurt said turning to the girls and Blaine. They all nodded and complimented Kurt again. "I'll get changed."

Kurt changed back into his clothes in the privacy of the dressing room while his party all meandered about the room, talking with Henry and each other. Henry stealthily made his way over to Blaine and began relentlessly flirting with him for most of the time, despite Blaine having said he had a boyfriend. Blaine was always polite though, laughing at Henry's jokes and keeping up with the small talk. When Kurt came out of the dressing room he eyed Blaine and Henry and laughed at the two of them.

Blaine on the other hand, was relieved and quickly excused himself from the conversation, joining the rest of the group as they went back through the store to the front desk. Kurt made the final payment on his tuxedo and scheduled a time to pick it up that Friday for the wedding on Saturday. They all left the store, their spirits lifted with Kurt's being on cloud nine.

They gathered on the sidewalk in front of the store. It was just about 4:30 in the afternoon, so they made the executive decision to go out for dinner and catch up with each other. Of course it was Rachel who led the way, assuring everyone she knew of a nice restaurant within walking distance of the bridal store they had just left.

Most of the way there, they all talked about the wedding, still excited from the fitting. Kurt was going into full detail, describing everything about it from the flowers to how the napkins were going to be folded at the reception hall. They discussed colors and guests and Glen the whole walk to the restaurant. Blaine tried to tune most of it out, unwilling to accept it was so close to the event, but he also wanted seem interested in the conversation so he laughed occasionally. Eventually, they reached the restaurant and were seated at a large table across from the windows. They all squeezed around the table, Blaine fitting in between Kurt and Santana.

The dinner went well, for the most of the evening. They all had the chance to catch up on what everyone was up to. Blaine talked about his coffee shop job and the few gigs he had performed at, he didn't linger on the topic of his schooling or living in Ohio. Like he had hoped the girls didn't judge him, they were all just excited to see him after all these years.

Of course Rachel gushed on and on about her roles on Broadway and how she was becoming quite a star. She and Kurt discussed getting Kurt another small role after his honeymoon to which Kurt enthusiastically agreed. Rachel even extended and offer to Blaine for him to use her agent to get him some shows that were more than just bar performances.

When Rachel wasn't talking, the other girls got the chance to talk about what they had been up to. Lauren and Noah Puckerman were engaged and she had her own fragrance line which she loved. Tina worked part time in a photography studio when she wasn't taking acting classes to get over her lingering shyness. She and Mike were still together, though he is now on tour as a back-up dancer with an up and coming hip-hop singer. Mercedes was in the process of working on a solo EP of songs she had written, living in the same apartment complex as Santana in LA. Santana had done several photo shoots for various magazines and she had just finished filming the pilot episode for a television show. Everyone seemed to be on their way in the world and though it sometimes made Blaine feel self-conscious about his situation in life, he was happy to be with his friends again and he promised them he would not drop off the face of the planet again.

No one brought up Kurt and Blaine's break-up, so they all either knew the details about it, or they kept quiet about it to keep the conversation from being awkward. Blaine assumed the both, figuring Kurt would have told them all about it. He didn't dare bring it up either, knowing full well it would end up being the focus of the conversation for the rest of the evening. Once or twice Kurt would laugh and clap Blaine lightly on the arm, an innocent gesture in itself, but it would get a few quizzical looks from the women regardless.

The check came and they all began shelling out the cash for each of their dishes, splitting the tip for the gracious waiter. Once the check was picked up, they all fell into chatter again without the distraction of food to detract from their conversations. Shortly after, the trill of Kurt's cellphone cut through the voices, his face lit up as he glanced at the caller ID.

"It's Glen!" he announced rising from his chair, "I'm going to take this outside, I'll be right back," he said shimmying behind the chairs and headed for the door.

Blaine watched him weave his way between the tables and leave the restaurant without so much as a backwards glance at the table. Kurt stopped just in front of the window outside the building and his face beamed as he answered his phone. Blaine watched as he began happily chattering away about what Blaine assumed to be the successful tuxedo fitting. Kurt bounced lightly on the balls of his feet as he paced back and forth in front of the window on the other side of the glass, smiling and running his fingers through his hair as he talked to Glen on his cellphone. As the conversation went on it seemed like Kurt was still floating on cloud nine as he spoke to Glen, sparking a flare of jealousy in Blaine.

The giddiness he showed however, did not last long. Blaine watched as Kurt's face fell and tears began pooling in his eyes. He began speaking angrily into the phone, blatantly upset at whatever Glen had said to him. His bouncy stroll in front of the window turned into an aggravated stomp as he hastily paced back and forth on the sidewalk. His pale cheeks began turning red as he grew more and more upset at whatever Glen was saying. Blaine watched, concern furrowing his brow. He had tuned out the pointless chatter around him and focused all his attention on Kurt, anxious that he was so upset. He was torn between going out and comforting him as he argued with Glen, and staying out of it.

After a few minutes of storming to and fro, Kurt calmed down and stopped pacing, going from angry to just plain upset. One word answers flowed from his lips, a clear sign that he was done with the conversation. Glen must have gotten the hint, because Kurt clicked off his phone and shoved it into his back pocket. He strode out of sight from the window and did not return into view. Blaine watched the empty window, waiting for Kurt to come back into view or to enter through the doors of the building. A full minute passed with no appearance from Kurt and with each ticking second, Blaine's anxiety mounted, concerned for Kurt's fragile emotional state. He contemplated going outside when he was snapped out of his thoughts.

"_Blaine_!" Rachel half shrieked from across the table. "Have you been listening to me?"

"Sure Rachel. I-I'll be right back," he replied dismissively, taking a fistful of napkins from the dispenser as he stood up from the table.

He made his way out of the restaurant and prayed Kurt hadn't left. He immediately looked over to the sidewalk in front of the window area and found Kurt sitting alone on one of the benches directly to the left of the restaurant window. His legs were crossed tightly and his arms were folded over his chest, a tear clung to his pale cheek. Blaine slowly made his way over to the bench and sat next to Kurt, who did not acknowledge his presence. Blaine wordlessly stretched out his hand and held out the napkins he took from the table.

Kurt glanced at the napkins and took them from Blaine's hand, "thanks," he mumbled with a weak smile. He dabbed his cheeks with the napkins without another word. Blaine waited patiently to see if Kurt would explain, but when he didn't, he decided to take it upon himself to ask.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked scooting closer to Kurt on the bench.

Kurt heaved a heavy sigh, "it's Glen," he began. "He had to cancel our honeymoon."

"Why? What happened?"

"Something came up. He has to fly to LA tonight for some celebrity lawsuit his firm has taken on."

"Tonight? What about the wedding?"

"He is flying out tonight to meet with his client and set things up and he's flying back to New York late Friday night for the wedding on Saturday. He's then going to fly out Sunday morning again," Kurt muttered slowly shaking his head.

"How long will he be gone?" Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged, "it depends on how the case goes. He's already cancelled the reservations we had and our flight tickets for the honeymoon. I know it seems trivial to be so upset about a honeymoon, it's just that I was _so_ looking forward to going and spending time with him without real world distractions. Saying it out loud seems stupid, I shouldn't be this upset," he sniffled, another tear breaking through his long lashes.

"No, you have every right to be upset," Blaine said gently, placing his hand on Kurt's knee. "You just need to look at it from a wider perspective. You and Glen have your whole lives to be together, cancelling a honeymoon isn't the end of the world. There will be so _many_ opportunities for you two to spend time together. Sure it stings now, but it's about the _marriage_ and not just the wedding."

A small smile quirked one of the corners of Kurt's lips, "thanks, and you're right," he murmured, placing his hand on top of Blaine's that was resting on Kurt's knee. "You always knew what to say to make me feel better," Kurt sighed with a light laugh.

"Always happy to help a friend," Blaine murmured in return.

Kurt smiled at Blaine again, their hands still resting together on Kurt's knee. The door chimed to their right, snapping them out of their little bubble. Blaine turned away from Kurt and Kurt leaned around Blaine to see.

Blaine's eyes bulged and snatched his hand away from Kurt's knee and settled it limply in his own lap. "_There_ they are!" Mercedes called, catching sight of the two men on the bench. "We were thinking you had skipped out on us," she laughed as the group made their way towards Kurt and Blaine. She caught sight of Kurt's melancholy gaze and lunged at him, sweeping him up in an enveloping hug, "baby what's wrong?"

"Just stress, I'll be alright," he assured his friend, patting her on the shoulder.

"You're sure?" Rachel asked, placing a hand on his elbow.

"Yeah," he nodded, "I hate to cut this outing short, but I have to get home," Kurt apologized pulling away from Mercedes.

"No! We were going to hit a bar and go dancing," Santana objected.

"You guys go, I have to get home to Glen," Kurt said waving his hands.

"You sure?" Tina asked.

"Positive, I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Fine," Santana declared, crossing her arms, "We will have plenty of time to get you drunk tomorrow night at the club for your bachelor party," she announced, arching an eyebrow. She turned to Blaine, "you going to come with us tonight?"

Blaine tore his eyes away from Kurt to address Santana, "I don't think so."

"Blaine, go," Kurt urged, "don't let my bad mood bring down your evening."

"Well unlike you ladies," Blaine jested, "I have work tomorrow and I couldn't take another day off if you got me shitfaced tonight."

They all laughed, "but you're coming with us tomorrow night, right?" Lauren asked.

Blaine glanced back at Kurt, "please?" Kurt pleaded.

"Sure," Blaine sighed, "I'd love to go."

"Super!" Rachel decreed clasping her hands together, "alright girls, let's go out for a night on the town!"

Blaine and Kurt hung back as the girls hailed a van taxi. Once one arrived, they all hugged goodbye briefly and filed inside the vehicle. Kurt and Blaine waved at the cab as it drove away from the curb. Blaine glanced at Kurt, who looked forlorn, and hailed a cab for them both, unwilling to let him stew in his sadness for the duration of the cab ride alone.

They climbed in and Blaine gave the taxi driver the address to Kurt's apartment and they set off away from the restaurant. At first they rode in silence, Kurt staring dejectedly at the floor. Blaine scooted over the seat until he was right next to Kurt and looped his left arm around Kurt's shoulders, pulling him into his side. Kurt rested his head on Blaine's shoulder with a sigh. He reached over and pulled Blaine's right hand into his two hands, needing something to hold on to.

Blaine closed his eyes and tilted his head so that it was resting on top of Kurt's, feeling the warmth of Kurt's hands covering his and the curve of his side fitting with his own. He knew he would regret it later, but living in the now, it felt so right. Though Kurt was upset, Blaine felt serene, holding onto Kurt as he was. He never wanted to let him go. His heart was fluttering in his chest, a pleasant tickling rushing through his veins. He wished that this was for real, he wished that Kurt belonged at his side just like this. But, the thin diamond studded band around Kurt's left ring finger was a constant reminder that the hands Blaine held now, belonged to someone else and that they were never going to be his to hold.

All too soon for Blaine, the cab rolled to a stop at Kurt's apartment building. They lingered in the back of the cab for a moment longer before Kurt released Blaine's hand and opened the door of the cab. He slid across the seat and rose from the cab. Blaine lurched across the seat and caught one of Kurt's hands. Startled, Kurt turned back toward Blaine.

"You're _sure_ you're alright?" Blaine asked, concern thick in his question.

Kurt gave him the most convincing, reassuring smile he could, "I will be," he replied. "Thank you. For everything."

Blaine lifted Kurt's hand to his lips and pressed a light kiss across his knuckles before releasing it. "Any time."

Kurt smiled before closing the door and headed up the stairs to his apartment.

"Address?" the cabbie barked.

Blaine ignored his demand, watching Kurt as he made his way into his apartment building, already missing the warmth of Kurt's hands on his own. Once Kurt was out of sight, Blaine turned back to the cab driver and gave him the address to his own apartment, settling in for the lonely ride.

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><p><em>Hope you enjoyed the chapter. A quick little side note I wanted to add was I wrote this chapter over the summer when Lauren Zizes was still on the show and she and Puck were still together. I know as of now on the show that's not the case anymore, but I didn't have the heart to change it after I had already written it. So just go along with the whole Lauren bit, sorry if it caused any confusiondislike._

_Thanks for reading! Next chapter will be posted on Monday!_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **_Hello, hello, hello! As promised, I have another new chapter for you. Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and your continued support along this journey, I really really appreciate it. Thank you for reading and enjoy the chapter!_

_I do not own anything in this chapter that is Glee related._

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><p>The night was long and lonely, sleep came about as easy as cutting down a tree with safety scissors would be. His hands were cold and empty, his heart beating out a keening song. His bed was chilled and uninviting, his whole apartment unwelcoming even to him. He lay awake for hours tracing the lines on his palm with one fingertip, his mind floating through a steady stream of thoughts.<p>

When he finally slept, his dreams were infused with Kurt. Their first kiss, their first date, the first time they made love. He dreamed of what it would be like if things were different, if he had been able to hold onto Kurt instead of letting him go. Would it be _their_ wedding this Saturday? Would they be happy? Would _Kurt_ be happy? That was what most bothered Blaine, Kurt was miserable last night, disappointed and hurt. He _hated_ seeing Kurt like that, fragile like the beautiful porcelain doll he was. What was worse, was that Blaine knew he couldn't fix it, only able to give Kurt the comfort a friend could. He couldn't wrap him in his arms and hold him until pain went away. He couldn't place little kisses on his nose and forehead and whisper sweet words to comfort him. That was Glen's job, even though it was Glen who had caused the disappointment Kurt felt.

Blaine was relieved when his alarm clock pulled him out of his dreams, thankful for the deterrence of his thoughts. He got out of bed, focusing on the task of getting ready for work. He missed how carefree and chipper he used to be in the morning as he would get ready for work. Lately, it seemed like Kurt's presence was taking an emotional toll on his system, taxing his energy in the morning. He dressed casually like he always did for work, not bothering to look special. He glanced forlornly at his guitar case and realized he hadn't played it for the longest stretch of days since coming to New York. Before he could decide against it he snatched his guitar off the floor, not letting his personal problems and internal conflict keep him from playing his music.

He left his apartment a few minutes earlier than he usually did, wanting the extra time to clear his head as he walked to work. He used the time to think of more pleasant things, like seeing his old friends he hadn't seen in nearly ten years. They hadn't changed as much as he feared they would which was a relief to Blaine. He hadn't realized how much he missed them until he spent time with them yesterday and he was grateful that he would be spending more time with them tonight at the bachelor outing. As far as Blaine knew it was just a club, but if Santana was involved in the planning process, he couldn't be too sure. He silently wished he had thought of an outfit last night instead of stewing in his emotions.

Blaine opened the shop as he normally did, turning down the chairs and mopping the floor. He had his second batch of scones in the oven when Elise came into work. He strummed the stings of his guitar leisurely as he told Elise all about the fitting yesterday, not leaving a single detail out. She asked about the girls a lot, what they were like and if they changed since high school. They chatted for a while about his friends, Elise had actually heard of Rachel Berry and her career on Broadway which was surprising to Blaine because he hadn't.

Slowly the customers started coming in and Blaine was forced to return his guitar to its case and do his job. The weather was nice, so there were a lot of customers that came into the shop for iced coffees throughout the morning. Blaine was grateful for the distractions of work, forcing his mind to concentrate on the task at hand. As usual, the crowds thinned as the lunch hour came around and Nate showed up for lunch. He asked about the fitting and Blaine told him the abridged version of what he gave Elise, neglecting the parts with him holding Kurt in the cab.

Nathanial too wanted to know how seeing his old friends went and Blaine talked about how it was as if seven years hadn't passed between them. He told Nate about how he was invited to Kurt's bachelor party with the girls. Nate didn't seem too keen on the idea, but he did not ask Blaine to decline the invitation, assuring him he had no problem if he attended because he trusted him. Blaine extended an invitation to Nate but he politely declined, saying again that he would feel like the odd man out and that he would get the opportunity to meet everyone on Saturday at the wedding.

Shortly before one o'clock, Nate left to go back to work, kissing Blaine on his way out the door and Blaine went back to work. He wasn't expecting Kurt to come into the shop today, since he had work and the girls were in town. Yet, half an hour after Nathanial left the shop, in walked Kurt with Santana's arm looped through his own. Blaine smiled from behind the counter and started getting Kurt's order ready as they approached the front of the shop.

"Ritzy set-up you've got here," Santana remarked looking around the shop.

"Thanks," Blaine replied setting Kurt's order on the counter, "can I get you anything San?"

She looked at the list of options on the sign next to the counter and ordered a small black coffee which Blaine put together in no time at all. Kurt pulled out his wallet and paid for both orders, including two pieces of biscotti. They seated themselves down at a table, Blaine sitting across the table from Kurt and Santana.

"So," Blaine began, "to what do I owe this visit?" he asked Santana.

She shrugged, "Kurt made me come."

Kurt rolled his eyes at her, "no, it was quite the other way around."

"Alright, so I wanted to see you too," she grinned at Blaine, sipping her coffee.

"Where is everyone else?" Blaine asked them.

"Mercedes and Tina went with Rachel who is giving them kind of a backstage tour of Broadway, and Lauren and Puck are taking in the sights of the city. Santana wanted to come into work with me today," he said nudging her elbow with his own.

"You needed someone to model some clothes and I was available," she shrugged, "you are one lucky guy."

Elise came back into the shop from her cigarette break and glanced at the table the three friends were seated at. "Hello," he greeted them.

"Hey Elise," Kurt replied in return, "this is a mutual friend of Blaine and I."

"Elise Durand," the she introduced herself holding a hand out to Santana.

"Santana Lopez," she replied, grasping Elise's hand and shaking it briefly. Elise smiled and headed into the back room to get ready for the wave of customers that usually came in after lunch. Santana watched her go, not taking her eyes off the woman, "is she…?" she began.

"She has a boyfriend," Blaine laughed.

"Damn it," Santana muttered under her breath.

"What ever happened to you and Britt?" Blaine asked, propping his chin on his hand.

Santana crossed her arms, "it just didn't work out. She just ended it one day and said she just wanted to be friends. We used to talk often, but I haven't heard from her in the last few months. Last I heard, she and Artie were trying a relationship again but that's only a rumor I heard from Quinn," she shook her head.

"I'm so sorry," Blaine murmured, placing his other hand on her arm.

"Yeah, me too," she replied, not taking her eyes off her coffee cup.

"Alright, enough with the Debbie-Downer attitudes," Kurt butt in, "on a more pleasant note, we are going to have a great time tonight." Santana nodded excitedly.

"Where exactly are we going?" Blaine asked tentatively.

"Just a club, nothing too spectacular—"

"It's going to be one hell of a night. It's Kurt's last outing as a single man so he is going to get drunk off his ass and dance with everyone in the club," Santana cut in.

"I should never have let you plan this," Kurt moaned kneading his temples with his fingertips.

"You'll love it," she assured him.

"Well, we will _see_ about that. We have to get back to work," Kurt said checking his watch and turning to Santana.

"Already?" Santana whined standing up from her seat.

"Yes, I am completely swamped trying to finish the fall collection," Kurt replied. "I just have to use the restroom and we can go."

Kurt excused himself and crossed the shop and entered the men's bathroom, Blaine and Santana watching him go. Santana turned back to Blaine and eyed him with a knowing glance.

"What?" he demanded crossing his arms over his chest.

"Don't play dumb, Anderson," she hissed, "fess up."

"To what?"

"You still have it bad for Kurt," she stated, arching an eyebrow and smirking.

"No I—"

"Save it," she snapped, holding up a finger to silence him, "I'm not blind. I saw you run out of the restaurant yesterday night and you can hardly ever take your eyes off him. It's like you're wearing a blinking neon sign on your forehead saying 'I love Kurt'."

"I-I…" Blaine stuttered, visibly shaking.

Santana's features softened, "hey, it's okay."

Blaine swallowed hard, "is it _that_ obvious?" he breathed.

"I don't think so. I just know you," she smiled, "or I used to. You better not drop off the face of the earth again."

"I won't, I promise."

"Damn straight you won't. How are you taking this whole wedding business?" she asked leaning against the table.

He heaved a heavy sigh, "not so great," he admitted.

"Does Kurt know?"

Blaine's face paled, "oh God no!" he blurted.

"Have you ever thought of telling him?"

"Are you _insane_?" he shrieked, immediately regretting the volume his voice got to. He tuned it down to a whisper, "he is marrying the man he _left_ me for," he hissed.

Santana looked stunned, "o-oh, I didn't know."

"Yeah, I'm sure Kurt wouldn't broadcast that fact—"

"Wait! Didn't you mention yesterday you're dating some guy?"

"Yeah," Blaine barked out a laugh, "got myself in quite the emotional mess, didn't I?"

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

He shrugged, "I don't really know," he admitted, "I'm just banking on the wedding as being the closure I didn't get five years ago when we broke up."

"That plan sucks."

"Tell me about it," Blaine groaned.

Kurt came back through the door of the restroom and Blaine and Santana immediately ended their conversation. "You all set to go?" he asked her.

"I think so," she sighed, "I'll see you tonight, Blaine."

"Where are we meeting tonight?" Blaine asked them.

"My apartment, ten o'clock," Kurt said shortly heading for the door, Santana was already outside waiting for him.

"Wait, Kurt," Blaine blurted out, reaching and grasping Kurt's arm. "H-How are you? How are you feeling today?" he asked, concerned for the condition he was in last night when he dropped him off at his apartment.

Kurt sighed, "truthfully, I've been better," he admitted with a cheerless smile. He placed his hand over Blaine's that was on his arm, "thanks Blaine. I'll see you tonight."

"See you tonight," Blaine said in return dropping their hands. Kurt grasped Blaine's hand tightly in his own and gripped it reassuringly before joining Santana outside the shop and walking into the summer sun.

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><p>The rest of the day passed without any incident, just a typical day at the coffee shop. Blaine used his free time to plan his outfit for tonight, mentally going through the clothing items in his closet. When he got back to his apartment at seven that night, he knew exactly what he wanted to wear and immediately took it out of his closet. He decided on a crimson red button down long sleeved shirt, black skin tight jeans, red socks, and black shoes. He pressed the wrinkles out of his shirt with his iron, making the collar flat and crisp. He hung his clothes on the hook in his bathroom and he took a lengthy shower, taking his time.<p>

When he got through with his shower, he continued with his regiment. He spritzed cologne and did his hair. Instead of trying to tame his curls, squirted a bit of gel in his hands and rubbed them together and fluffed his hands through his hair. Tonight, he was going for the tousled look, letting his dark curls be as unruly as they wanted, but keeping them from getting frizzy. When he was finished with his hair, he got dressed in his carefully planned outfit, the jeans were hard to get into, he hadn't worn them in a few years and they were tight. For the shirt, he rolled up the sleeves to his elbows and buttoned it up almost to the top, leaving the last two buttons undone to expose some of his chest.

Ten o'clock grew close and he left his apartment, locking the door and pocketing his keys on the way out. He hailed a cab and headed over to Kurt's apartment. New York was alive, even for a Thursday night. The lights were bright and the people were brighter, most heading out for the evening. The ride to Kurt's place seemed short, probably because Blaine's attention kept wandering and there was a lot for him to look at. Sooner than he thought, the cab was rolling to a stop in front of Kurt's apartment building and he was paying the cab driver. He walked up the stairs and made his way through the building and up to the door of Kurt's apartment. He knocked loudly on the door and waited for a response.

Giggling came from the other side of the wooden door and it flew open, revealing a very shiny Rachel. "Blaine!" she exclaimed sweeping him in a hug. "We've been waiting for you!"

"I'm not late am I?" he asked stepping into the apartment.

"No, you're right on time," Mercedes replied.

All the girls were standing around the kitchen table, sipping water and chatting. They had all dressed to impress. Santana in a very short tight red dress, Rachel in a short metallic silver number, Mercedes in a purple and blue swirl pattern dress, Lauren in a grey top and black skirt, and Tina in a short black lacey dress. "You ladies look great," Blaine remarked grinning at them all.

"As do you, hot stuff," Santana replied digging him in the ribs with her elbow.

"Too bad you don't play for our team," Mercedes laughed.

"Where is Kurt?" Blaine asked.

"You called?" Kurt trilled gliding into the room. He had really gone all out. His white long sleeved shirt had dozens of tiny buttons closing the front and studs, zippers, and chains looping around the shoulders. His jeans were a slightly metallic black and very, very tight and were worn with glossy knee-high black boots. His hair was vertical and resembled the crest of a bird. Blaine's breath caught when he first caught a glimpse of him and tried to regain his composure before anyone noticed.

"And another gay man who looks hot," Mercedes teased poking Kurt's side.

Kurt shrugged as if that was a well-known fact and looked all the girls over, "good thing I'm gay, because you ladies look great!" They all laughed along with him. "And you too, Blaine," he added, smiling at the man.

"As do you," he replied taking in Kurt's wardrobe again.

Kurt whirled in a circle, Blaine's eyes immediately dropping to his backside. Santana elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Ow," he hissed under his breath.

"Quit gawking," she whispered back.

"Alright, is everyone ready to go?" Kurt asked, "I called for the cab and it should be waiting for us now."

Everyone nodded and grabbed their belongings off the kitchen table. Kurt picked up his phone and attempted to fit it into the pocket of his jeans, failing miserably. He sighed in frustration, "Blaine? Would you mind holding onto this, I can't fit it in my pockets, my pants are too tight. Not that yours are much looser," he laughed.

"Sure," he replied taking Kurt's phone and cramming it into his pocket.

"Let's get this show on the road!" Rachel exclaimed and everyone headed out of the apartment.

They piled into the cab and Santana gave the driver the address to the club. On the way there, they all chatted excitedly about the nights events, all excited for a night of drinking and the dancing. The cab ride itself wasn't too long, but necessary because the girls were wearing heels. They arrived around 10:30 PM and waited in the line for about fifteen minutes before they got through the bouncer at the door.

When they all finally stepped inside, the club was in full swing. It was dark, the DJ was playing a heavy beat, and the colored lights were dancing over the bodies on the dance floor. Once they were all inside Santana stopped in front of the group and exclaimed as loud as she could, "to the bar!"

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! The see the bachelor party unfold in the next chapter on Thursday, see you then!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **_Greetings everyone! It's Thursday, and since it's Thursday I have a new chapter for you, let me know what you think! As always, thank you all so much for your reviews and your continued support, you are all just spectacularly amazing. Thank you for reading and enjoy the new chapter!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>Santana plowed a path through the bodies meandering around the entrance and made a bee-line for the bar. The rest of the group passed through the path she made and followed her, but with a little less gusto than she had. The club itself was huge and dark, lit only by the flashing and swirling colored lights spinning around the room from the ceiling. The DJ was at the back and out of the way, and along the walls on either side of the dance floor were long stages where scantily clad men and women were dancing for dollar bills. The bar was set off to the right of the room in a railed off section of space and was lit with dancing lights that slowly shifted from one color to another. The floor vibrated with the base blaring from the speakers under the feet of dimly lit swaying bodies on the dance floor.<p>

By the time Kurt, Rachel, Mercedes, Lauren, Tina, and Blaine made it to the bar, Santana had pushed her way through and was yelling directions to the bartender over the boom of the music.

They stopped in front of her at the counter of the bar, "I started a tab, all drinks are on me!" she yelled over the music, "get whatever you want and as much of it as you want!" She turned to the bartender, "five kamikaze shots for us and a double for the man of the hour!" she winked at Kurt. He rolled his eyes at her and smiled. The bartender quickly put together the order and handed out shots to each of them, giving Kurt the taller double shot which he took with a laugh. "To Kurt!" Santana declared, thrusting her glass in the air.

"To Kurt," everyone in the group chanted together, clinking their glasses with hers in the air. They all raised their glasses to their lips and snapped them back, drinking them all in one swift gulp. They all slammed their glasses down on the bar counter and hissed in unison at the sting and the burn of alcohol in their mouths and throats.

Kurt coughed and sputtered, the double amount of alcohol searing his throat, he swallowed hard, "Santana you'll be the death of me," he sputtered.

"Probably," she shrugged. She turned back to the bar tender, "another round, but this time make it seven butterballs." The bartender nodded again and quickly put together their shots, making Kurt's only a regular single shot instead of a double. Santana rose her glass and clinked it with everybody's and again and they slammed back their drinks.

"And now we dance!" Rachel shouted slamming her empty shot glass down on the bar counter. She grabbed Kurt's sleeve in one hand and Mercedes wrist in her other hand and plowed through people to get to the crowded dance floor. Santana grabbed Blaine and the rest of the group followed behind Rachel as she began practically bulldozing people out of the way to get to the dance floor. She cleared them a small bubble in the crowd and began dancing without inhibition with Kurt and Mercedes. They rest of the group showed up and began dancing along as well, each picking up the beat and swaying along.

Everyone danced for a few songs together, the alcohol really kicking in and flowing through their veins. After a while though, they began peeling off and heading back to the bar for more drinks as the night wore on, always going in groups. They were all buzzed, some buzzes tip-toeing on the edge of drunkenness, and laughed often, each doing ridiculous dance moves to elicit laughter from their friends. After two hours of dancing together, they began to branch off in groups of two or three, some staying on the dance floor, some going back to the bar.

On the cab ride to the club, Blaine made the conscious decision to remain as sober as he could get away with and keep an eye on his friends, especially Kurt. He had three shots in him already, thanks to Santana, so he went over to the bar and ordered an alcohol free diet soda. He found himself a tall barstool and used his perch to survey the club scene. Santana was occupied sliding a dollar bill across the stage to a blonde, glitter encrusted pole dancer. Lauren was standing off to the side, sipping on what looked like a glass of water but Blaine couldn't be sure if the clear liquid was actually such an innocent beverage. Rachel was dancing ostentatiously with a tall dark haired man in the center of the dance floor.

Blaine scanned the rest of the dancers for Mercedes, Tina, and Kurt but could not find their familiar faces amongst throng of strangers. He glanced left and right, hoping they were all at the bar near him, but again he found none of them. He was about to get off his seat and check the restroom when he caught a glint off the metal chains and studs of Kurt's shirt in the darkness of the club. His face paled and glowed white in the colored lights of the bar.

Kurt was sitting in a chair near the stripper stage and was receiving a very vulgar lap dance from a muscular man wearing nothing but skin tight metallic booty-shorts. Kurt's cheeks were flushed from laughter and looked like he was really enjoying himself. Mercedes and Tina were standing a few feet away from the chair watching Kurt's show and laughing harder and harder as the dancer's moves got more and more suggestive. Kurt was smiling from ear to ear and clapping his hands together every now and then at a move he liked. Blaine shook his head and forced himself to smile, seriously contemplating ordering a hard drink to beat back the jealousy that was flaring through his chest. He turned around on his barstool so he was facing the bar and not the lap dance Kurt was receiving.

"Looks like you need something a little stronger than a Coke," Santana observed plopping down on the stool next to him. "Come on! Drink! Me merry! This is a celebration!" she slurred waving her arms around and nearly knocking over his soda. Blaine shook his head and moved his drink farther away from Santana and her boisterous gestures. She looked over her shoulder at what Blaine assumed was Kurt's private show and smiled, "that got your panties in a bunch?" she asked pointing her thumb over her shoulder. "If you're that sexually frustrated, I can get you one," she said pulling a few dollars out of her tiny clutch handbag.

"No, I'm all set," Blaine replied, waving off the cash.

"What's your deal? Is it because Kurt's getting frisky with a stripper?" Blaine didn't reply. "Oh! You're _jealous_!" she snickered drunkenly. "Blaine, you gotta just go out there and _get_ him!"

Blaine looked at her incredulously, "Santana, he's almost married."

She bit her lip, "oh right," she paused and looked around, "well I was right then, you do need a strong drink. What do you want? I'll do a shot with you."

"San, I think you have had _plenty_ to drink for one night."

"No, I'm not even drunk!" she asserted, teetering on the bar stool.

"How much have you had to drink?" Blaine asked crossing his arms.

She thought a moment, eyes drifting to the ceiling, "ummm… six… no, no…eight? Maybe?"

"Point proven, you should probably stop or you are going to be stupidly hung-over tomorrow."

"Okay, so I'm drunk," she admitted waving her arms again, "one more shot isn't going to do anything."

"No."

"What do you want?"

"We aren't doing any more shots."

"Pick now or I will."

"No."

"Bartender!" Santana shouted down the length of the bar. The man who had first served them came over to her, "two shots of tequila, and bring over some salt and lime," she demanded and the man set about filling her order.

"When you have your head in the toilet all day tomorrow, I'm going to say I told you so," Blaine smiled, shaking his head at her.

She shrugged the warning off, "when you're drunk you'll thank _me_." The bartender came back over to them with a tray holding two shot glasses filled with tequila, two wedges of lime, and a salt shaker. "Alright, here's how it's gon' be," Santana began, slurring her words together. "You're gonna lick the salt off my hand," she said licking the back of her hand and sprinkling salt on the wet spot, "then you're going to do the tequila shot, and finish by sucking on the lime wedge. Got it?"

"Yeah," Blaine said dragging a shot glass and a lime wedge toward him.

"Ready, set—"

"Hey, what're you two up to?" came Mercedes voice from behind them. They both spun around and found Mercedes, Tina and Kurt standing there, Kurt's face still flushed from his lap dance and the alcohol.

"Blaine and I are doing tequila shots," she said pressing the shot glass into Blaine's hand. "Go!" she shouted at him.

He grabbed her hand and licked the salt off in one swoop getting it all off. In the same movement he knocked back the shot of tequila and hissed at the burn of the drink.

"The lime! The _lime_!" Santana ordered. He snatched the lime from the tray and bit down on it, the sour juices squirting into his mouth. His face screwed up at the sour taste of the lime and he quickly spit it out.

"That was terrible!" he shouted taking a big gulp of his diet soda.

"You did it totally wrong!" Kurt declared, laughing at the sour expression on Blaine's face.

"You should show him how it's done!" Santana laughed.

"Alright," Kurt shrugged.

"Kurt you're drunk," Blaine said in an attempt to stop him.

"That's the _point_," he giggled taking up the salt shaker, "you just need to _relax_."

He smirked down at Blaine and dipped two long fingers into Blaine's soda, swirling them around the ice cubes in his glass. Blaine rose a confused eyebrow at Kurt who only lifted his hand from the class and grinned wider. He raised his hand and slowly and deliberately, rubbed a small circle of the moisture from the drink on the side of Blaine's neck. The cold touch of Kurt's fingers on such a sensitive part of his neck made his muscles tighten and goose bumps raise over his arms even though heat was flooding to his face. His expression must have been funny because by the time Kurt started shaking salt over the wet spot on his neck, the girls were giggling and Santana was practically falling out of her chair.

The smirk never left Kurt's lips as he coaxed more salt onto the spot over the tight muscles of Blaine's neck. Satisfied with his work, he set the salt shaker down and took the tequila-filled shot glass into one hand and the lime in the other. Blaine followed Kurt with his eyes as the man leaned down over him, the smirk never leaving his lips, "watch and learn, Anderson," Kurt growled in his ear, his breath warm against Blaine's cheek and smelling of alcohol. He brought his mouth to Blaine's neck and Blaine could feel the grin on his lips as they connected with his skin. His tongue trailed up the salty patch he made moments ago, and he sucked gently over the flesh while Blaine was blushing from to toe and completely frozen in his seat. He could feel Kurt's lips twist into a grin again as he nipped the hot flesh at Blaine's neck before he pulled away and gulped his shot down, cramming the lime wedge into his mouth. He grinned triumphantly down at Blaine and spit the lime rind out onto the tray.

"And _that's_ how it's done!" Santana shrieked. She pulled out her cell phone and squinted at the time, "it's only 12:45! The night is young and we still have time to dance our asses off. Let's go!"

They all turned towards the dance floor and began staggering over to it. Blaine hung back and let them all go, fully intending to order some cold water and watch them while waiting for the deep blush in his cheeks to drain. Kurt glanced back at him as he was walking away and stopped in his tracks. He staggered over to Blaine at the bar and grabbed him by the wrist, "come on!"

Blaine opened his mouth to protest but a glare from Kurt stopped the words before they left his lips. Kurt grinned and headed back towards the dance floor, Blaine allowing himself to be dragged along behind him. Once they got to the dance floor they joined the rest of the girls in their group, dancing together to the beat. The dark haired man Rachel had been dancing with came by and tried to dance with her again but she gave him the cold shoulder, laughing with the girls as he dejectedly left the dance floor when it was clear his advances were not working. Blaine was dancing, feeling the new alcohol work its way through his system, but not too worried about it. He swayed his hips and laughed with his friends who were all dancing a little more loosely than they had when they first came to the bar, the alcohol was to blame for that.

Blaine danced along with the base of the song, getting lost in the music. He felt a hand trail along the back his shoulders as someone from behind him came around to face him. A short blonde woman in a tiny hot pink mini dress flipped her hair and grinned at Blaine. He nervously smiled back as the woman ran her hand through his curls, tousling them with her fingers. She spun around and backed up to Blaine and started grinding against him. She grabbed his hands and placed them on the sides of her hips as they danced. Blaine felt a tad bit awkward, but didn't have the heart to push the woman away, he rested his hands gently on her waist and moved his hips with hers, trying not to be as awkward as he felt. The woman was really into the dancing, trying to seduce Blaine by swaying and swiveling her hips against his, too bad she was barking up the wrong tree.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder and found Blaine dancing with the woman; Blaine's eyes were wandering awkwardly around the room, looking everywhere except at the slutty blonde he was dancing with. Kurt giggled and moved over to the dancing pair extending his arm as he went. He reached over and grabbed one of Blaine's wrists and spun him away from the girl in one swift movement. He swung Blaine around behind him and grabbed Blaine's other hand, firmly placing them both on either side of his waist. He began swaying his hips in very exaggerated movements and it took Blaine a minute to realize what was going on. He clutched Kurt's hips tighter, pulling closer to him, and started dancing on him, moving his hips in time with Kurt's. The woman in the mini dress glared at Kurt and over Kurt's shoulder at Blaine and stormed off, swinging her fake blonde hair in frustration.

Blaine chuckled against the back of Kurt's neck, "thanks," he murmured into Kurt's ear over his shoulder.

"You looked like you needed help," Kurt replied over his shoulder at Blaine. They danced together, watching the rejected woman disappear through the crowd. Once the woman was out of sight Blaine reluctantly released Kurt's waist and stepped away from the taller man. Kurt turned around and both men rejoined the girls who were dancing and laughing at Blaine's awkward moment. Santana eyed Blaine, she had obviously picked up on his deep blush from dancing with Kurt. He rolled his eyes at her and continued moving to the beat.

They danced together for a handful of songs before finally meandering off the dance floor, which was still crowded with dozens of people. They made their way to the bar but only so Santana could pay the drink tab. She handed the bartender her debit card, which he swiped, and she signed her name sloppily on the receipt, too drunk to hold the pen steady or to sign on the correct line. The bar tender didn't comment on her scribble, he just took the receipt and went back to work fixing drinks for the other club-goers. The group headed for the exit together and everyone stepped out into the wee morning hours of New York, the clocks declaring 1:30 AM.

There was a decent sized group of people waiting for cabs on the sidewalk, so it was apparent that they were going to have to wait for their taxis. Like the other people waiting for cabs, Blaine's group of friends was drunk. He noted that Lauren appeared to be the most sober, followed by Tina, Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt, and Santana who was definitely going to be hugely hung over the next day. He himself could still feel the alcohol in his system, rising his body temperature a few degrees higher than normal, though he was probably one of the more sober members of the group.

"Alright," Lauren said to Blaine, "looks like we're babysitting. The girls are all going to Rachel's to crash. I'll take the cab with them and make sure they make it through the doorway of her place."

"I can make sure Kurt gets back safe," Blaine offered.

"I can make it back _fine_," Kurt objected spinning to face him and teetering precariously on his feet. Blaine reached out and caught his arm, preventing a possible fall onto the pavement.

"I'm sure you can," Blaine replied humoring him, "I just want to be sure you do, alright?"

"Fine, but I don't need a babysitter," Kurt mumbled crossing his arms over his chest, only swaying slightly with the action.

"No you don't," Blaine agreed to appease him. He slowly released Kurt's arm, making sure he was steady on his feet before heading over to the curb with Lauren, hailing two cabs together. They funneled all the women into the two cabs and gave each cab driver the address to Rachel's apartment complex. Blaine waved at them as they drove away from him and Kurt. Blaine looked up and down the street, searching for another yellow cab to hail. It took a while longer before he caught sight of one and he almost had to jump out in the street to get it to stop. When it finally did, he gently ushered Kurt inside and scooted in next to him, giving the cabbie Kurt's address as he closed the door behind him.

"Did you enjoy your bachelor party?" Blaine asked once they were underway.

Kurt grinned, "it was fantastic," he gushed. For the remainder of the ride, Kurt gabbed all about his night, not leaving any detail out, not even the lap dance he received. He laughed a lot, making it clear he had a good time and he was still feeling the effects of the alcohol, no matter how much he denied it.

When they pulled up to Kurt's apartment, Blaine paid the cab driver and carefully helped Kurt out of the car, ignoring the taller man's protests. He wrapped one arm around his slender waist and walked up the steps with him, taking his time so Kurt wouldn't struggle to keep his balance. Instead of taking the stairs up to Kurt's apartment, Blaine walked him over to the elevator and punched the button with his thumb, opening the doors. He pushed the button to Kurt's floor and held the man steady as the elevator jolted to life. They rode to the top in silence, the short ride taking only seconds. The elevator reached the floor and the doors slid open again, Blaine carefully stepping out and heading for the door to Kurt's apartment.

"You still have your key right?" Blaine asked coming to a stop in front of the door.

Kurt dug his hand into the tight pocket of his jeans and grabbed the key, struggling to get it out of his tight pocket. He lined up the key with the lock and attempted to insert it, but he missed several times before Blaine took the key out of his hand and unlocked the door himself. They stumbled through the door, the interior of apartment was pitch black. Blaine led Kurt around by the waist, helping him keep his balance as he searched for the light, relying on his foggy memory of the last time he was here. He hit his knee on the table he was looking for and his hand fumbled with the lamp switch. The light flared to life, dimly lighting the living room and the kitchen and dining room off to the right.

Blaine walked Kurt over to the couch and gently set him down on the soft cushions, "I'm going to get you some water," he told Kurt.

He used the dim light of the lamp in the next room to navigate his way around the dining table and into the kitchen. He began opening the cabinets above the granite counter top, searching for glasses. He stumbled upon the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of aspirin, carefully pouring two pills out into the palm of his hand before putting the bottle back where he found it. He found the glasses shortly after and filled one with cold water from the sink faucet. He slowly made his way back to Kurt on the couch, being careful not to trip over the dark shapes of furniture in the soft light in the dining room. He stopped in front of Kurt and handed him the glass of water, which he took gratefully. He gulped down a few mouthfuls and sighed contentedly. Blaine extended his open palm, holding out the two aspirin tablets to Kurt.

He frowned at the pills, "I don't need those," Kurt objected leaning away from the medicine.

"Kurt you're going to be hung-over tomorrow, these will help take the edge off when you first get up," he urged, extending his hand. Kurt glared at the two pills before picking them up and popping them into his mouth, swallowing them with a mouthful of water.

"Happy?" Kurt muttered sipping more of his water.

"You'll thank me tomorrow," Blaine replied crossing his arms over his chest. "I'd better go, it's late. Don't do anything too stupid okay? No more drinking for tonight, no baths, no cooking—"

"Calm down Nervous Nancy," Kurt giggled reaching up and poking Blaine in the stomach, "I'm going to head to bed right now." Kurt rose the glass to his lips and finished drinking the remainder of the water Blaine had given him.

"Alright," Blaine nodded, taking a step back. Kurt gripped the arm of the couch and tried to stand up but only got a foot off the cushion before losing his grip and flopping back down again. Blaine held out both of his hands, "let me help you," he laughed. Kurt gratefully took Blaine's extended hands and slowly eased himself up off the couch cushion. "Take it easy," Blaine breathed as Kurt got his footing stable under him. Kurt took a steady step forward and smiled smugly at Blaine who laughed and stepped away, dropping Kurt's hands.

Kurt gave a cocky smile and took another step forward, this time not as smooth without Blaine's help. The toe of his boot caught the floor and he pitched forward, thrusting his arms forward to stop himself. Blaine moved fast, lurching in front of Kurt's falling body and catching his upper arms. He tried to steady them both but the momentum of Kurt's fall paired with the unbalanced grab attempt made by Blaine, threw them both to the floor, Blaine falling backwards and Kurt falling forwards.

They landed together, Blaine's back making contact first, followed by Kurt's body crashing down on Blaine's chest, knocking the wind out of the shorter man. He gasped for air when their bodies came to a stop, "are you alright?" Blaine laughed, releasing Kurt's arms and resting his hands on his shoulder blades.

Kurt nodded slightly, his nose bobbing up and down a few inches above Blaine's. He remained still, resting on Blaine's chest, staring into his hazel eyes as he lay on the floor of the dimly lit living room. Kurt moved his arms from Blaine's chest where they had been pinned between their bodies when they fell, and planted his hands on either side of Blaine's face. It didn't take much, the space between them only a few inches. Kurt closed the gap and crushed his lips against Blaine's.

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><p><em>... Sorry! Cliffhangers are terrible and I am so sorry! Ah! Tune in on Monday for the next chapter and see what happens next!<em>

_Thank you for reading!_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N:** _Hi!_ _Alright everybody I've got the new chapter for you. That cliffhanger was quite a doozy and I'm sorry for cutting you off right there. _

_This chapter __does get a little heated but just keep in mind the rating of the fic and if you don't want to read that and want to skip to the end of the chapter that's entirely up to you, but I will say that there are some parts at the end that are kind of important so don't skip quite everything._

_We are coming ever so closer to the end of this story and including this chapter there are only five chapters left (woah). So thank you for reading and sticking with me thus far. Thank you for your support and your reviews and without any further delay, enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>Blaine froze, his whole body seizing up and tensing. Kurt's lips were warm and full, molding around his and pressing hard against Blaine's. Blaine could feel his heart give out a surprised and painful thump as Kurt deepened the kiss for a moment before pulling away a little and looking down into Blaine's eyes, his parted lips rosy and his cheeks flushed pink. Blaine's mind went blank and his jaw opened and closed a few times without enough oxygen in his lungs to utter a single sound. Kurt's half-lidded eyes searched his face, his chest rising and falling in quick spurts against Blaine's.<p>

"Blaine," Kurt breathed, his breath warm against Blaine's lips as he leaned down and kissed him again.

Blaine's head became fuzzy and his stomach fluttered, his heart skipping a beat and freezing the air in his lungs. His lips were immobile, stuck in shock, but Kurt's burning mouth moved regardless. He sucked Blaine's bottom lip into his mouth and grazed his teeth over it, hitching Blaine's shallow breath. Kurt grazed his teeth over the sensitive flesh again, trying to get a rise out of Blaine. This time it worked.

A shiver rolled down Blaine's spine and his whole body shuddered under Kurt. He sighed into the kiss, parting his lips and moving them with Kurt's. Their lips were fast and clumsy as they sucked hungrily. Blaine's body boiled, erupting in a raging inferno and Kurt was stoking the flames with each heated kiss. Soon the flames were going out of control. Kurt's fingers found their way into Blaine's hair and were tangling themselves in his dark curls. Blaine's hands traveled from their place on Kurt's shoulder blades and clamped down on his waist, clutching Kurt impossibly tight to his body, but it wasn't close enough.

Blaine slowly sat up off the floor, dragging Kurt by the lips as he went until he was sitting upright. Kurt removed his lips from Blaine's and pulled back onto his knees, knotting his hands in the front of Blaine's shirt. He shoved with all his force against Blaine's chest until he slid a foot backward slammed against the side of the couch. Blaine grunted as he hit and reached for Kurt, his frantic hands finding his face.

Their lips came crashing together in a heated moan of teeth and tongue, hot breath rushing out and mingling in between gasps. Kurt straddled Blaine's lap on his knees and began fisting through Blaine's hair again, tickling a moan in the back of Blaine's throat. Blaine dropped his hands from Kurt's face and trailed them down Kurt's back, letting them roam over his hips. His hands traveled lower, roughly running his palms slowly over the curve of Kurt's supple ass, digging his fingers in a little. Kurt's lips fumbled against Blaine's mouth as a deep moan clawed its way up the back of his throat, the sound staking Blaine right in the chest. Blaine's lips left Kurt's and traveled down his pale neck, exploring its familiar length with a string of heated kisses, inhaling Kurt's intoxicating scent and nipping at the delicious skin.

Kurt was panting against Blaine's temple, gasping for air now that his mouth was free. He moaned as Blaine found his favorite spot on his neck, just below his earlobe. Blaine knew this spot well and paid it special attention, running his tongue over it in between turns of sucking on the spot and grazing his teeth over it.

"Do you wanna move this somewhere else?" Kurt panted breathily in Blaine's ear.

"_Mmmmmm_," Blaine mumbled against Kurt's neck. He placed one more kiss over the spot on as he slid off Blaine's lap.

Blaine rose to his feet, pulling Kurt up after him and fused their mouths together again once they were both standing. They began slowly dancing through the living room, but the slow and clumsy pace wasn't fast enough for either of them. Blaine grasped Kurt firmly by the hips and lifted as Kurt jumped and wrapped his legs around Blaine's waist, hooking his ankles together behind Blaine's back. Blaine slid his hands down Kurt's hips and rested them on the underside of his thighs just below his ass, supporting Kurt's weight as he slowly made his way down the hallway towards the bedroom. Kurt hands left Blaine's hair and traveled to the front of the couture shirt he wore without moving his lips from Blaine's. Kurt's shirt, which had looked great before with its chains and studs and dozens buttons down the front, grew more and more frustrating for Kurt whose fingers fumbled clumsily with the first few tiny buttons. He grumbled against Blaine's mouth in frustration.

Blaine groaned in exasperation and turned towards the wall of the hallway right before the bedroom, slamming Kurt's back against it. Kurt moaned into Blaine's mouth at the roughness of the move and used the wall to wrap his legs tighter around Blaine as his hands worked on his own shirt. Blaine's used the wall to support Kurt's weight and his hands traveled to Kurt's complex shirt. He began helping Kurt with the buttons, his hands fumbling as his mouth worked furiously against Kurt's. With their attention divided between the buttons and each other's tongues, they struggled with the buttons, both of them getting increasingly frustrated. Blaine tore his mouth away from Kurt's and snapped his eyes open with a frustrated grunt and gave the cursed buttons his full attention. Kurt moved his hands out of the way and rested his cheek against Blaine's forehead, panting as he waited impatiently for him to finish with the buttons.

The small buttons were slippery in Blaine's trembling clammy fingers as they hastily groped from one to the other, desperately trying to get the damn things undone as fast as possible. He could feel Kurt through his clothes and his hot breath against his forehead blowing through his damp curls, adding to his already mounting desperation. He wasn't making enough progress fast enough and the small whines tickling the back of Kurt's throat were sending him spiraling and his hands shaking even more.

"_Blaine,_" Kurt whined quietly into Blaine's curls, his fingers twisting into the hair at the back of Blaine's neck and holding firmly. He was urging Blaine to hurry as his long fingers twisted through his hair in random patterns and he kneaded the spot and wrapped his legs tighter around Blaine's waist.

He couldn't put up with this anymore, only managing to get ten of the two or three dozen buttons down Kurt's shirt undone. This shirt was killing him, it needed to come off _now. _He leaned forward and glued his mouth to Kurt's again, Kurt sighing gratefully into the kiss as he tangled his fingers through Blaine's hair again. Blaine gripped the fabric on either side of the row of buttons and ripped them apart from each other, popping all the clasped buttons off Kurt's designer shirt. Kurt moaned against Blaine's mouth and untangled his fingers from the dark curls as the buttons scattered all over the floor. Blaine pulled the open shirt away from Kurt's chest and Kurt shrugged out of the long sleeves, only momentarily getting tangled in the chains on the shoulders. The shirt fell to the floor at Blaine's feet with a loud clatter and Blaine victoriously ran his open palms over the smooth planes of Kurt's naked chest. Kurt sighed into the touch and tightened his arms around Blaine's shoulders as Blaine's hands grazed over the flushed skin of his chest, the skin warm and smooth under his fingers.

Impatience won over and Kurt pulled closer and tugged Blaine's hair pointedly. Blaine got the hint and slid his hands all the way back down his chest and returned them back to the underside of Kurt's thighs. He shrugged away from the wall, holding Kurt's full weight in his hands, and headed through the doorway of the bedroom. He navigated the space using his memory of the room from the last time he was here which was difficult because the room was lit only by the dim lights coming through the window and his concentration was focused on Kurt's tongue as it dipped into his mouth again.

Finally, his knees bumped into the edge of the bed and he slowly bent his body at the waist easing Kurt's back onto the mattress. Kurt's lips never left Blaine's as he unhooked his ankles from behind Blaine's back and used his arms to slowly scoot away from the edge of the bed on his back. Once Kurt was far enough onto the bed so that only his ankles were hanging off the side, Blaine moved his lips and began trailing them down his jaw. He moved his lips down Kurt's neck and down the center of his chest, placing wet kisses all along the length of it. Kurt slid his hands up Blaine's clothed back as Blaine's head drifted lower down his flushed chest, his head falling back onto the mattress, chest heaving. Once Blaine's lips reached the top of Kurt's jeans, he stood all the way up, running his palms slowly down Kurt's thighs as he stood, massaging as he went. Blaine grabbed one of Kurt's feet and began quickly untying his knee high boots.

He gasped in huge lung-fulls of air as his fingers fumbled with unlacing the thin shoelaces of the boot. Blaine finished loosening the boot and yanked it roughly off Kurt's foot, letting it fall to the floor at the edge of the bed. He moved on to the other boot, making quick work of the second one, dropping that boot next to the first one as he moved onto the socks. He looked up at Kurt, who was still panting on his back, and removed the sock slowly, relishing the desperate look in Kurt's eyes. He did the same for the second making Kurt nearly squirm in agony, the soft lights coming through the window dancing off his pale chest. He dropped the second sock to the floor and as it fell from his fingertips, Kurt sat bolt upright and found Blaine's lips in the darkness. Blaine smiled against the kiss, almost laughing at Kurt's urgency.

Kurt began sliding backward to the center of the mattress, dragging Blaine along with his kisses. Blaine was crawling along with Kurt, his arms and legs straddling on either side of Kurt's slender body. As Blaine moved away from the edge of the bed, he kicked his shoes off, grateful his were easier to get off than Kurt's. Kurt came to a stop with his head resting on the pillows at the head of the bed. He reached his arms up and wrapped them around Blaine's shoulders, roughly dragging him flush against his body.

Their mouths moved aggressively against each other's, both men gasping and panting against the other's lips. Kurt had to come up for air first, tearing his lips from Blaine's and gulping down oxygen. Blaine trailed his lips down Kurt's neck again as Kurt caught his breath. He brought his lips down on Kurt's collarbone and bit down, eliciting a moan from the man under him. Blaine grinned devilishly against the skin and nibbled the flesh again, Kurt arching his back under him.

Unable to take it any longer, Kurt grabbed Blaine by the shoulders and rolled over so that he was on top. He leaned down and pressed a kiss onto Blaine's hungry lips before crawling down the length of Blaine's body. Blaine sat up a bit, propping himself up on his elbows. Kurt was up on his knees, straddling Blaine's lap and his chest heaving. He flicked his eyes up to Blaine's flushed cheeks and raked his body with his eyes before giving him an impish grin. Kurt slowly dragged his palm roughly over the tight fly of Blaine's jeans, watching Blaine's reaction.

"Damn it, _Kurt_," Blaine moaned, eyes rolling back in his head as he slumped back down into the pillows as he trembled. Kurt grinned and grabbed Blaine's shirt, roughly un-tucking it from the top of Blaine's tight jeans. Once he got the shirt un-tucked, he unbuttoned the bottom button with one hand and brought his lips down on the flesh just under his bellybutton. Blaine moaned and his hands flew into Kurt's hair as Kurt's mouth worked on that spot. His hand moved to the next button on Blaine's shirt and his lips followed its progress, kissing and biting a path up Blaine's chest. Kurt's hand unbuttoned Blaine's shirt and his lips trailing along behind it until he reached the last button of Blaine's red shirt.

Blaine sat up slightly and shrugged out of his shirt, flinging it haphazardly onto the floor. He lay back onto the pillows, taking Kurt's lips with him. He wrapped his arms around Kurt's shoulders, pressing their clammy bare chests together. Kurt's lips trailed down Blaine's jaw and neck, sucking and biting hard enough to leave dark marks, but Blaine didn't care. He was moaning into Kurt's movements, arching his neck to give him better access. It didn't take long for Kurt to find Blaine's favorite spot, the area of skin at the base of his neck just above his collar bone. Kurt grazed his teeth over the area again and again, enjoying the whines and moans that Blaine made.

Blaine could hardly take the torture anymore, Kurt was toying him now, purposefully playing on his weaknesses. Kurt bit down on the spot and a wild moan bubbled up Blaine's throat and he raked his blunt fingernails down the length of Kurt's naked back. Kurt shivered under Blaine's touch and groaned against his neck. Blaine couldn't take the thrilling torture any longer, he rolled over on top of Kurt again and began roughly kissing down his neck.

His lips trailed lower and lower down Kurt's chest, taking the path they had earlier until they reached the flesh above Kurt's jeans. Blaine dragged his fingers up the zipper of Kurt jeans and reached the button. He slowly undid the button and ran his hand seductively down the bulging fly of Kurt's jeans. Kurt's hips bucked up into his palm against the pressure and let loose a guttural moan. Blaine smirked knowingly and slowly unzipped the fly, torturing Kurt who was gnawing on his bottom lip and watching Blaine's every move. Blaine carefully pulled down the top of Kurt's jeans until just his hip bones came into view. He bent his head and placed a gentle kiss on the flesh between the bones. Kurt whimpered above him and wound his fingers through Blaine's hair again, falling back into the pillows. Blaine brushed his lips back and forth across the flesh over Kurt's left hip bone and felt Kurt shiver. He brought his lips down on the hip bone with more force and began sucking roughly on the flesh.

"Oh yes," Kurt moaned, tugging Blaine's hair. Blaine hummed against the flesh as he dragged his teeth over it. He moved over to the other hip bone and gave it the same treatment, savoring the taste and the whimpers Kurt was making above him. Unable to take any more, Kurt ensnared his fingers in Blaine's hair and dragged him up and reconnected their mouths, crashing them together with a new found urgency. Blaine tangled his tongue with Kurt's, digging his fingers into the flesh at Kurt's waist. Soon they were panting wildly again, the room feeling like it didn't have enough oxygen to breathe in.

Kurt's hips were impatient and began rubbing up against Blaine's, both men moaning into the friction. Blaine trailed his lips back down to Kurt's neck as Kurt's hands slid to the fly of Blaine's jeans, unbuttoning it and yanking down the zipper in one swift movement. Blaine's hands gripped the waist of Kurt's jeans and began slowly peeling them down, one inch at a time, all the while his lips kissing along Kurt's neck.

"Blaine," Kurt sighed, dragging his fingers down Blaine's back.

Blaine smiled against Kurt's neck and gave him a little nibble, "hmmmmm?"

"_Oh God, Blaine!_" Kurt moaned louder as Blaine's fingers brushed across the bulge in his boxers. Blaine ran his palm full over the swell in Kurt's boxers, Kurt's breath catching and his entire body arching up into Blaine, begging for more. Kurt was shaking as Blaine continued inching his skin tight jeans down. "I want you," he breathed against Blaine's temple, "I want you so bad. I-I, _oh_… I love you Blaine," Kurt panted.

Blaine froze, his lips stopped moving against Kurt's neck and his hands halted their progress on Kurt's jeans. He pulled his head back and looked at Kurt who stared back, panting and confused. "What's wrong?" Kurt gasped, chest still heaving. He reached both his hands up and pulled Blaine's frozen face back to his. "Relax," Kurt breathed against his lips before pressing them against Blaine's.

Kurt's lips moved roughly against his lips, but Blaine's were slow and clumsy, a knot sticking in his stomach. His eyes snapped open from the feeling and his gaze came to rest on Kurt's night stand, falling on a small picture frame that was dimly lit in the light from the window. Though the room was dark, it was bright enough for him to see both of the smiling faces looking back at him. It was a picture of Kurt and Glen in front of the Eifel Tower. Blaine felt his stomach roll as he became aware of the small engagement band on Kurt's finger as it pressed against his cheek.

_What have I done? _Blaine tore his lips from Kurt's and flung his body off the bed, zipping up his fly as he went.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked sitting up on the bed. "Blaine what's wrong?" Blaine turned his back to Kurt and crammed his feet into both of his shoes, too frantic to properly tie them. "Blaine what's going on? Talk to me!" Kurt pleaded edging over to the side of the bed and grasping Blaine's wrist.

He forcefully yanked his wrist away, Kurt's touch burning his skin like acid. Blaine looked around the room and found his shirt a few feet front of him. He stormed toward the shirt and scooped it off the floor in one movement and headed out of the bedroom. "Blaine!" Kurt cried after him from the bed.

_What have I done? _Blaine thrust his arms into the sleeves of his shirt as he made his way for the door.

"Blaine!" Kurt wailed, his footsteps echoing from the hall behind Blaine. He reached the front door just as Kurt made it to the end of the hall, clutching the top of his unzipped jeans to keep them from falling. He flung the door open and glanced behind him once more at the distressed expression on Kurt's face. His lips were red and swollen and a trail of pink and purple splotches shadowed Kurt's pale neck.

_What have I done?_ Blaine's stomach rolled nauseously and a dry sob clawed its way up his throat. He stormed out of the apartment and slammed the door behind him.

He ran down the hallway and punched the button for the elevator. He waited a few seconds for it, but the doors did not open. Blaine panicked and ran through the door to the stairs, hitting the stairs at a run and clumsily stumbling down them as fast as his legs could carry him. He hit the lobby at a full sprint, his unbuttoned shirt flapping against his chest, and bolted out the front doors, nearly knocking over the janitor who was waxing the floors.

He came grinding to a stop at the curb and hailed the nearest cab as it drove by. He swung the door open and dove into the back seat, barking the address to the driver. He slammed the door and lay panting in the back seat of the cab.

_What have I done? _Blaine's fingers were shaking as he buttoned up the front of his shirt. He bit back the tears as a wave of crushing guilt washed over his body.

_W-What have I done?_

_I need to forget._

The cab ride wasn't long and the instant it had stopped, Blaine flung the door open and threw money at the cab driver, not bothering to count how much. He slammed the door and ran across the street and up the stairs of the apartment. He shoved against the door to the building and headed right for the familiar stairs. He took them two at a time until he got to the floor he needed. He hit the landing and bolted down the long hallway, not bothering to keep his gasping or his footsteps quiet. He reached the door he needed and skidded to a halt. He rose his fist and banged loudly on the door. He knocked and knocked and knocked but there was no answer. He began nervously pacing in the hall in front of the door, chewing on his lip. The door handle turned and the door opened.

"Blaine?" Nathanial asked rubbing his eye. "It's 2:30 in the morning," he mumbled.

"_I love you!_"

"Wha—"

Blaine stepped into Nate and smashed his lips to the taller man's in the doorway of his apartment. Nate wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and pulled him into the apartment, closing the door behind them. Nate's kisses were gentle, and he pulled back to look at Blaine in the darkness.

"Is everything alright?" he asked trying to meet his eyes in the very dim light.

Blaine lunged up and connected his lips to Nate's again, his lips quivering and moving frantically. "I want you. I need you. I love you," Blaine breathed against Nate's mouth in between kisses.

"I love you too," Nate mumbled against Blaine's lips.

Nate's lips moved slowly against Blaine's but that's not what Blaine needed right now. He pulled himself closer to Nate and began unbuttoning Nathanial's night shirt. Nate got the hint and his languid kisses grew fast and frenzied as he began roughly kissing Blaine back. He steered Blaine down the hallway of his dark apartment toward the bedroom, both men losing their clothing as they went.

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><p><em>Okay, so if you skipped the more heated portions of this chapter read the last nineten paragraphs or so just so you get the gist of what is happening for the next chapter. If you did read the whole chapter, I hope you enjoyed it! As always the next chapter will be up on Thursday! See you then!_

_Thanks for reading!_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **_Wow it's Thursday already! Hello all, hope you're ready for this new chapter!_ _With this one there is a total of four chapters left, so we're really coming down to the end here. Thanks for keeping up with me and offering your support and reviewing, it really means the world to me. Trying to keep this brief, so I'll stop here and just say enjoy the chapter!_

_I don't own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>The room was grey, the early morning sky taking on a slate color outside the windows of the bedroom. The clock read just before 5:30 AM and the city was numb, hovering in limbo between the night life and early morning traffic. The city wasn't the only thing that was numb.<p>

Blaine lay naked under the sheets with Nathanial spooning against his back, one arm draped across Blaine's nude waist. His eyes were glazed over, empty of spirit. He had been staring at the wall for hours unable to sleep, unable to think, barely able to breathe. He lay awake stewing in his guilt, renewing a wave of dread each and every time he closed his eyes or even so much as blinked.

Nate nuzzled the back of Blaine's neck in his sleep, sighing contentedly as he cuddled against his back. He had been doing that every once in a while once he had finally fallen asleep and it made Blaine feel that much worse. Nate was content, happy, floating on cloud nine. Blaine felt like scum; worse than scum, he felt like a monster. He came to Nate with the sole purpose of using his body to forget. To forget his feelings for Kurt, to forget about the way Kurt moaned against his skin, to forget about what he had done. He thought the only way for him to forget about Kurt was to convince himself that he was in love with Nate, to make himself love Nate at whatever cost. He used Nate, it was selfish and he knew it. A tear trailed down the bridge of his nose and fell onto the pillow under his head.

Unable to bear the self-inflicted torture any longer, as quietly and carefully as he could, he moved Nate's arm from his waist and untangled their legs. He slowly slid away from Nate, edging himself off the bed as to not wake the sleeping man. He didn't stir. Blaine rose from the bed and squinted in the dim light, trying to find his clothes where they had been flung about the room a few hours ago. He had to search the room, treading the floor on silent feet. His clothes were intermixed with Nate's and trailed from the bedroom and down the hall. He dressed as he went, as quickly and quietly as he possibly could. He found his shirt last, piled in a heap in the hallway, the wrinkles already set in. He shrugged into his shirt and buttoned it up, not bothering to tuck it in. He peeked through the doorway to the bedroom and found Nate just as he left him, fast asleep with a smile on his face. Blaine's stomach felt heavy at the sight, another lead block of guilt crushing his chest.

He left the bedroom doorway, leaving Nate alone in the bed and tiptoed down the hallway and out the front door as quietly as he could, clicking the doorknob in place with the slightest sound. He let out the breath he had been holding and shakily took in a fresh lungful of air to clear his brain.

Blaine shuffled out of the apartment building and began walking down the sidewalk, not willing to wait there for a cab. He needed to be doing something, standing on the side of the curb alone with only his thoughts waiting for a cab would do nothing for his raging emotions. He ignored the looks he received from early risers who were out for a morning run or were taking their dogs out for a walk before they went to work. He knew he must look like hell, he sure as hell felt like it. His whole body felt dirty, a layer of invisible grit and guilt coating his skin. He could feel his hair sticking up in all directions and his clothes had been in a heap on the floor multiple times tonight so they were wrinkled beyond belief. But as bad as he looked, he felt a thousand times worse.

The sound of car tires filled his ears and he turned just in time to hail a yellow cab as it barreled down the street. The tires squealed on the pavement as it came to a stop next to Blaine. He slid into the back seat and issued his address to the cabbie as he pulled away from the curb. Blaine sank into the cushion of the seat of the cab and let out a heavy sigh, letting his head fall back against the headrest.

"Rough night?" the cab driver grunted, taking in Blaine's appearance through the rear-view mirror.

"You have no idea," Blaine croaked, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

The cab ride only took a few minutes, just enough time for Blaine to run through the night's events and stir up a whole new wave of depression. He felt sick, enough to where he felt as if he would vomit. He pinched the bridge of his nose to keep the tears from spilling over and tried to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Cold shower, coffee, tums, and aspirin," the cab driver said, "best way to beat hangovers I've come across."

"Thanks for the advice," Blaine muttered, trying to keep the exasperation from seeping into his voice. If only a hangover was the worst of his problems.

"No problem," the cabbie replied pulling the taxi over to the curb, "here we are."

Blaine stepped out of the cab and handed the driver his fare, muttering a quick thanks to the pleasant man. He dragged his feet up the stairs and into the building, stepping into the elevator just as the doors were closing. He pushed the number to his floor and slumped against the wall, hitting his head on the metal. His head did hurt, though he couldn't be sure if it was from the alcohol last night or the mental and emotional stress he brought on himself. Maybe the cabbie was right, aspirin was definitely a good idea.

The elevator ride to his floor was short but not short enough for Blaine who just wanted to melt into the wall and stop feeling. The doors opened and his neighbor stood waiting just outside. She took one look at him and had to hide the cringe she made with a fake smile.

"Good morning," she chirped stepping into the elevator as he left it.

Blaine grunted and stalked away from the woman. He had never had to experience the walk of shame the morning after, but he was pretty sure he felt it now. Shame, guilt, depression, nausea, hurt, soreness, self-loathing, filth: he felt them all as he opened the door to his empty apartment. He flicked on the light and squinted, the brightness hurting his eyes.

The first thing he noticed was the vase of flowers on the center island of his kitchen and he felt light-headed; Nate had given him those. He took deep breaths and cleared his head, he really needed aspirin or maybe just another hard drink. He left his kitchen and went into his bedroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he went. It was already creased, so he rolled it up and threw it on the bed, followed by his pants soon after. He grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom, he felt dirty and needed a shower desperately.

As soon as he turned on the light in the bathroom and saw his reflection in the mirror, he almost choked on his tongue. He shook his head and did a double take, letting his reflection sink in. His hair was sticking up in all different directions, no rhyme or reason to any of the dark curls as they wildly jutted up from his scalp. His eyes had bags under them from not sleeping, but his face wasn't why he wanted to shatter the mirror into a million pieces and never look at his reflection again. His lips were red and swollen to be sure, but that's not what really drew his attention. Bruises. Everywhere.

A few small circles of light purple dotted his upper arms and shoulders, those he knew were Nate's. The rest belonged to Kurt. Dark purple bruises blotched over his neck, faint bruised teeth marks still visible on the flesh. The bruises didn't stop at his neck, they trailed to his collarbones and down his chest ending at his hips with finger marks and hickeys where Kurt had dug his fingers in and sucked at the flesh. He turned around to study his back in the mirror and saw raw scratch marks raked over his shoulders and all the way down his spine.

He looked at every bruise and could feel Kurt's mouth against his skin, he could feel Kurt's breath ghosting against his flesh. Goosebumps raised over his arms as he studied the bruises in the mirror, memories of Kurt's apartment flooded his head. The touches, the heated kisses, the passion, the sighs, the moans, Kurt whispering his name… He felt _everything_ Kurt did to him, he felt the kisses and the touches he had been drunk off the passion and the heat of Kurt's body.

He felt nothing with Nate, just the physical. It was just sex, emotionless sex. Blaine used it to try and forget about how it felt to have Kurt in his arms again, to have Kurt sigh his name in the darkness, but it didn't. It just brought a painful point to Blaine's realization. He loved Kurt. Not just lingering feelings left over from years ago. He still felt the passion, he still loved Kurt with all his heart. Any feelings he had for Nate were abysmal compared to the white hot intensity of what he felt for Kurt. And here he was in the eleventh hour, the day before Kurt's wedding to another man, covered in Kurt's hickeys.

Blaine stripped down his boxers and stepped into the shower, feeling the need now more than ever to be clean. He scrubbed his skin raw, trying to wash away any memories from last night. He scrubbed his scalp until it hurt, washing the gel out of his hair and relaxing the curls that had been distressed the night before. He stood under the water of the shower for a long time, letting it wash away his feelings and take them down the drain.

After a while, he emerged from his shower, skin red and tingling. He studied his bruises in the mirror once again, hoping they wouldn't be as much of a shock since he had already seen them. He still caught his breath when he saw his reflection in the foggy bathroom mirror, the deep bruises standing out behind the haze. He wrapped himself in a towel and shuffled tiredly into his bedroom, glancing forlornly at his bed and wishing he could sleep, but his mind was racing and work beckoned.

He walked over to his closet and picked out blue jeans and a black button-down shirt, hoping the collar and sleeves would be able to hide his bruises. He put on his shirt and boxers went into the bathroom to check his appearance. The sleeves were long enough to hide the few bruises along his arms. He glanced at his neck and sighed. Most of the hickeys were below the line of his collar, but the deep purple ones Kurt made on the favorite spot of his neck peaked out just slightly if his collar wasn't laying just right. He silently wished he had cover-up as he smoothed down his collar over the marks.

He shrugged into his pants and ran a comb through his hair, not bothering to do any styling with it. He took his damp towel from the bathroom and into his room and threw it into his clothes basket. He glanced at his dirty clothes on his bed and considered just leaving them there, but he wanted last night out of his head and those clothes were just another reminder. He picked the pants and shirt up and threw it into his clothes basket, the light bundle making an uncharacteristically loud thud. He glanced at his nightstand, his cell phone still resting where he had left it, so the sound wasn't made from his phone in the pocket of the pants. He went over to the clothes basket and grabbed his dirty pants. He reached in one pocket and pulled out his wallet, obviously the culprit of the noise, but he checked the other pocket just to make sure his keys weren't there.

His fingers closed on a square plastic device. His brow furrowed and he pulled out his hand. Blaine audibly gasped and dropped it to the floor like it was burning his hand: Kurt's cell phone. Memories from last night, which he tried to suppress, came bubbling to the surface. Kurt had asked him to hold onto his cell phone before they went to the bar since his pants were too tight for the device to fit into his pocket. Shaking, he slowly picked it up off the floor, rolling it over in his hands and pushing one of the buttons on the screen. It lit up and showed four missed calls and two text messages. Blaine resisted the strong urge to open them, but he couldn't bring himself to look at the messages that were probably from Glen… Whose fiancé Blaine almost made love to last night.

Blaine groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. He would have to return the phone to Kurt today. Maybe he could put it off until the wedding tomorrow when he would _have_ to face Kurt. Maybe Kurt would stop by the shop, but he doubted that after what happened last night; or what _almost_ happened last night. He placed the cell phone in his pocket and took it with him just in case. He finished getting ready for work and slipped into his shoes, numbly tying his laces.

His whole body felt numb, whether that was from the lack of sleep or the emotional exhaustion he couldn't sort out. He glanced at the clock, right on schedule to get into work. He went into the kitchen and snatched the aspirin bottle from the cabinet and poured two pills into his palm, swallowing them without water. Blaine kept his eyes off the vase of flowers as he made his way for the door of his apartment, not even glancing at the guitar on his way out.

The walk to work was a listless one as he tried to shut his feelings off, he'd had enough of dealing with them in the last twelve hours. He let his attention wander to sounds around him, anything to just keep his mind off last night. He listened to the birds in the trees, he listened to the garble of cars and pedestrians, anything and everything all at once to blot out last night.

Once he got into the shop it got easier, he forced himself to focus on opening for the day. He took his time getting everything together, dragging every action out so he wouldn't have any free time before the customers came in. Elise came in a bit later than usual while Blaine was elbow deep in a bowl of biscotti dough. Seeing he was busy, she bid him a quick good morning before taking the mop and heading back into the main shop. He heaved a sigh of relief, _dreading_ the moment he would have to tell his best friend about his night from hell. He wished he could just keep it inside and not have to re-tell it to anyone, but he knew he couldn't keep it from Elise, maybe she could help.

The customers came in fast and numerous the minute the shop opened, all getting their fresh Friday morning coffee for the last day of work before their weekend. That kept both Blaine and Elise very busy for the better part of the morning, both scrambling to keep up with all the orders and baking more pastries. As the morning wore on, less and less people began entering the shop, making for a lull in business. Blaine stole away into the back room to take advantage of the extra time and make more baked goods which were selling rather quickly today. Elise was manning the counter as he made his third batch of scones, stirring a cup of walnuts into the thick batter. He grabbed a spoon and began scooping mounds of the dough onto a greased baking sheet, careful to make them all the same size and shape.

"That's our _third_ batch of scones today!" Elise exclaimed storming into the backroom with a huge grin on her face. "It's exhausting but the business is _fantastic_!" Blaine nodded and half-smiled without looking up from his work. "It's not even noon yet, you look tired already," she grinned, gesturing to the bags under his eyes. Blaine set the empty bowl in the sink and grabbed the tray of unbaked scones, he turned towards the double ovens and bent to open the lower one, sliding the tray into the preheated oven. "What's that?" Elise asked.

"What?" Blaine asked closing the door of the oven and setting the timer.

"_That_," she asked pointing to his neck. He straightened up and wiped his hands off on his apron. She waltzed over to him and yanked the collar of his shirt down a little and smirked, "what were you up to last night? Or should I say what were you and Nate up to last night?" she asked stepping back with a wink.

Blaine could feel the color drain out of his face, his stomach turning uncomfortably and bunching up in nauseating knots. He took a shaky breath through his nose, "it's not from Nate," he whispered.

"Wha—" her eyes bugged out of her head and her mouth fell open, "Blaine, you _didn't_…"

Blaine nodded and a choked sob crept up his throat, the tears he had been desperately holding in seeping through his lashes and running down his face. He buried his face in his hands in shame, not even trying to keep his sobbing under control. He felt arms wind around his shaking shoulders and he buried his face in Elise's shoulder. She squeezed him tight, trying to hold the pieces of him together as he was shattering into a million bits. She shushed him and cooed in his ear to try to keep him calm, but he had been holding this inside for too _long_, preferring to feel numb than anything at all. He trembled from head to foot, exhaustion from not sleeping coupled with his tumultuous emotions wreaking havoc on his frazzled mind. The bell chimed from the other room, signaling the entrance of a customer.

Elise pulled back, "I'll be right back," she whispered, planting a kiss against his temple. She dashed into the other room to talk with the customer.

Blaine sniffed and quieted his sobbing, taking gulps of fresh air to sooth his sputtering lungs. He slumped down on one of the stools next to the baking counter and buried his face in his hands, concentrating on breathing evenly. His emotions were dangerously frayed, unable to make sense of any of them, all amassing together in a confusing mess of tears. He finally calmed his sobs with one final whimper, but let the tears keep flowing, knowing they needed to be released, he couldn't keep them in any longer. He felt a hand brush against his shoulders and took his hands away from his face. Elise smiled held out a paper towel, rising it and gently dabbing at the tears on his face. She threw it out once it was too damp and handed Blaine a dry one.

"Thanks," Blaine rasped, his voice rough.

She straightened up and leaned against the counter across from Blaine, "what happened?" she asked gently.

Blaine drew a breath and dabbed the fresh tears from his face. "Last night was Kurt's bachelor party," he began, letting himself remember everything he was trying to push out of his mind, "Kurt was pretty drunk, so I took a cab with him to his apartment to make sure he got back safe. We got there and I gave him aspirin and water and I was about to leave, but Kurt fell and I tried to catch him but he ended up falling on top of me and…" he took a shaky breath, his heart fluttering spasmodically, "he-he _kissed_ me." Fat tears began rolling down his cheeks in rivers again. "We-we went into his bedroom and started fooling around, neither of us r-really thinking clearly enough to stop…"

She raised a hand to her mouth, "you had sex with Kurt," she gasped.

Blaine shook his head, "_no_," he cried. "Right as we were about to, I-I snapped, realized what I was doing, and left his apartment."

"Blaine you were _drunk_, people make mistakes," she reasoned, trying to help soothe him.

He shook his head numbly, the tears still flowing, "I wasn't drunk," he whispered, "Kurt was plastered but I was only a little buzzed, completely in control of my actions."

"But you stopped," she rationalized, "you didn't actually have sex."

"Not with _Kurt_," Blaine murmured dropping his eyes to his hands.

Elise was silent as he let his words sink in, he could almost hear the gears click into place in her head as she came to the realization, "Blaine…"

"I went over to Nate's after I left Kurt. I needed to _forget_ about him Elise," Blaine looked up, panic in his voice as he tried to explain. "I-I used Nate. I used him to convince myself that I loved him and-and that Kurt meant _nothing_ to me anymore…" he was sobbing again, burying his face in his hands, "I used him," he whispered in between sobs.

"Blaine," Elise murmured placing a hand on his knee, "I'm so sorry."

"Me too," he sniffled, "I feel _so_ guilty. I've ruined _two_ relationships because I was selfish. I'm a horrible person."

"Don't say that," she whispered hugging his shoulders.

"It's true," he whimpered, "I hate what I've done. I hate myself."

"Everyone makes mistakes Blaine, that's life. You make mistakes and you move on, learning from them and growing. _No one_ is perfect. You are a wonderful person, nothing can change that. You're my best friend, nothing will ever change that either."

Blaine shook his head, "the worst part is it didn't work."

"What didn't?"

"I used Nate to try and convince myself I'm in love with him. It only made me realize that I never could love him because I'm still completely and _hopelessly_ in love with Kurt," he wiped the last of the tears from his salt stained cheeks.

Elise peeled back the collar of his shirt a bit, revealing more of the deep purple hickeys along his neck and collar bone, "these could be Nate's then," she suggested lightly touching her fingers to one.

Blaine shook his head, "Nate wasn't really into the foreplay. It was just sex, there was no real feeling, no passion. With Kurt," Blaine shook his head, "I felt like I was flying."

"What are you going to do?" she asked.

"I can't lead Nate on any more. I—" the bell on the door to the shop rang again and more voices floated into the shop from a new group of customers. "Come on," Blaine muttered standing up. "I don't want to talk about this anymore."

Elise nodded and squeezed his shoulder before leaving the back room and greeting the customers. Blaine took a deep breath and went over to the sink, splashing his face with cool water, cleaning the dried salt from his face. He toweled off his face and took a deep, calming breath before leaving the room and going back to work serving coffee.

It was just before noon by the time the intermittent crowds slowed and stopped coming into the shop. Blaine and Elise hadn't brought up their earlier conversation again and Blaine fell back into his feeling of numbness, only feeling slightly better for talking about it. Though he felt a bit better, he couldn't keep the memories from breaking into his subconscious again, no matter what he did to try and keep them out.

Once the crowds stopped coming, they got worse because he didn't have enough to do to distract himself from them. He tried to busy himself in the back room with Elise as they washed dishes and reorganized shelves, taking inventory and making a list of things to order for the shop. That didn't fill enough of their free time, so they both grabbed cloths and cleaning bottles and started washing all the tables in the front room, cleaning off the crumbs and coffee rings from each of them. They had about half of them done when the bell above the door rang once again. They both looked up at the same time and both of their faces fell.

"Good afternoon, handsome," Nate exclaimed as he came into the shop. In his hands was an extravagant bouquet of a dozen red roses. Blaine felt nauseous all over again at the sight, guilt washing over his whole body as he dropped his cleaning cloth onto the table he was washing.

"H-Hi," he stammered as Nate came over to him. Nate dropped the roses on the nearest table and swept Blaine up into his arms, planting tiny kisses anywhere his lips could reach. He eventually caught Blaine's lips and kissed him deeply, his lips curving up into a smile against Blaine's stiff mouth. Blaine felt sick, shame curling in his limbs, he pulled his face away from Nate's as soon as he could. Nate smiled down at Blaine again and planted a kiss on his forehead as he reached over for the roses.

"For you," he cooed, letting the beautiful bouquet fall into Blaine's arms. Though they were just flowers, they felt like lead in his arms, the gesture making Blaine's skin crawl with his own shame.

"You shouldn't have," Blaine muttered staring at the roses in his arms.

"Of course I should have," he smiled pressing his lips against Blaine's again, "I love you."

Blaine felt like he was going to vomit, he could taste the bile in the back of his throat and his head felt woozy. He took a deep breath and bit back the nausea, forcing a smile onto his pale lips.

"Baby are you alright? You look unwell," Nate asked cradling Blaine's face in his hands.

"I'm just tired," Blaine lied, "I didn't sleep last night."

"I _know_," Nathaniel growled, grazing his teeth over the shell of Blaine's ear. Elise loudly cleared her throat, making her presence known. A blush crept up Nate's neck and he smirked down at Blaine whose face was still devoid of any color. "Hello Elise," Nate called over to her at the counter.

"Hey Nate," she replied shortly, spraying the counter and running a cloth across the surface. The atmosphere got a bit awkward after her interjection, Blaine and Nate just standing in the middle of the shop without saying anything.

"You want to go outside?" Nate asked taking Blaine by the hand.

"Sure," Blaine replied, trying to keep his voice normal and even. Nate led him outside by the hand that wasn't holding the bouquet of roses, seating himself across from Blaine at one of the picnic tables outside the shop.

Blaine set the roses aside and folded his hands together on the table top and fixing his eyes on them. What was he going to do? What was he going to say? How was he going to start this conversation? And here Nate was, blissfully unaware of the thoughts swirling in Blaine's head or the hickeys from another man tucked under the collar of his shirt. Kurt's hickeys. Blaine's stomach turned and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, _what have I done?_

Nate reached across the table and unfolded Blaine's hands, taking them in his own, the smile he walked into the shop with never leaving his face. "Blaine," he grinned wider, eyes smoldering in the afternoon sun, "I love you _so_ much. Last night was…" he shook his head and blushed, "incredible." Blaine gave a small smile and focused his eyes on the wood grain of the table, unable to bring himself to meet Nate's eyes. Nate squeezed his hands, "hey, are you okay? You're awfully quiet."

"Tired," Blaine repeated himself, quickly looking up at Nate before locking his eyes back onto the table under their hands. Physically, mentally, and emotionally tired. How was he going to tell Nathanial that?

"Something's wrong. What is it? I thought that after last night that—" Nate's mouth fell open, "oh God Blaine last night. It wasn't good for you was it?"

"Nate I—"

"Oh I should have known! It's just that it was _great_ for me, I never thought to ask if it was good for _you_. You hated it. I was terrible wasn't I? Was I too rough? Not rough enough? Was it too fast? Too slow? It was bad wasn't it? You were so _quiet_ the whole time! I-I didn't think anything of it!"

"Nate there was nothing wrong with _you_," Blaine cut him off.

"What's wrong then? You're not acting like yourself," Nate pleaded squeezing both of Blaine's hands. "I thought that after last night everything would be perfect, last night was perfect. You don't know how long I've wanted to do that."

"Yeah..."

"Please tell me what's wrong," Nate asked again, "was it something I did? Was it something I didn't do? Help me help you."

It was now or never. Blaine took a deep breath, "Nate last night was a mistake," he murmured, barely audible over the crowds passing by. He dared to peek through his lashes up at Nate to gauge his reaction. His face was pale and his mouth hung open like a fish gasping for reprieve on land.

"I thought that's what you wanted," he reasoned, "you-you came over at 2:30 in the morning and _pounced_ on me in the doorway of my apartment. What was I supposed to think? You should have stopped me if you were uncomfortable."

"I know how it happened," Blaine said, exhaustion seeping into his tone, "but it doesn't change the fact that it shouldn't have."

Nate cocked his head to the side and eyed Blaine, "I'm still confused, I thought you wanted that, you said last night you _wanted _me."

Blaine took in a deep breath and swallowed hard, shaking his head.

"I-I don't understand," Nate stammered. He looked like he had just been slapped across the face, hurt clear in his brown eyes. Blaine opened his mouth to say more, but Nathanial held up a hand, "okay. Okay, no problem," Nate said putting on a brave face and a smile, he gripped Blaine's hands tighter. "We can take things as slow as you want. If last night was too much, we can take it nice and slow. I won't rush you to do that again until you're absolutely positively _sure_ it's what you want," he nodded to himself and brought one of Blaine's hands up to his lips.

"Nate," Blaine choked, tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't."

"Y-You don't have to until you're ready."

"No," Blaine murmured, "I can't do this. _Us_."

Now it was Nate's turn to drain of all color and take on a greenish, nauseous looking hue, "what?" he whispered in a strangled breath.

Blaine blinked back the tears in a feeble attempt to keep them back, though a few managed to spill over. "I can't do this anymore. It's not fair to anyone, and I think it's time we stop kidding ourselves."

"Kidding ourselves? But last night—"

"Was a mistake—"

"I told you we can slow down, we can be celibate if that's what you want—"

"Nate—"

"You told me you _loved_ me!" he cried, tears gathering in the corners of his brown eyes. He released Blaine's hands and slammed them down on the table.

"I lied," he breathed, not much louder than a whisper. "I don't. I thought that last night would change things, but it just made everything all too clear."

Nate looked up at Blaine through the haze of tears clouding his vision, the tears overflowing his lids in thick unrelenting rivers down his cheeks. He tried to wipe them off on his sleeve, but the moment he did, they were replaced by fresh ones.

The sight ripped Blaine's heart out, twisting the knot in his stomach and spilling more tears over his cheeks. He hastily scrubbed away the moisture on his cheeks and ever so gently pushed the bouquet of flowers across the table and let them slide to a stop in front of Nathanial's trembling fingers. Nate let out a quiet sob and let his fingers trail over the soft red petals of the closest rose.

"I'm so sorry, Nathanial," Blaine whispered reaching across the table and taking one of Nate's shaking hands.

"What could I have done?" he asked peeking up at Blaine through his tear-laden eyelashes.

Blaine sniffed and took a breath, "it was nothing you did. You were perfect. More than perfect. Anyone would be lucky to have you. I-I just wasn't ready for this relationship like I thought I was."

Nate grasped Blaine's hand tightly and closed his eyes, trying to fight the tears that wouldn't stop running down his face. He ran his free sleeve across his cheeks again, sweeping up the latest wave of tears. He looked back up at Blaine with misty eyes, "it's _Kurt_ isn't it?" Blaine couldn't meet his gaze. "I knew it. I had a feeling when you started spending so much time with him that you still had feelings for him, but I just told myself I was just being jealous. What are you thinking? He's getting married _tomorrow_, Blaine."

"I know."

"Then why are you doing this? Why are—" Nate took his hand away from Blaine's. "You didn't…"

"What."

"Y-You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

Blaine sighed and dropped his gaze, his chest feeling heavy.

"Blaine?" Nathaniel murmured, his tone hedging on the verge of a snarl.

Blaine couldn't meet Nate's glare, he closed his eyes and swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing nervously. He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out, slowly nodding his head.

He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes and look at Nate, feeling ashamed. He didn't see the look on Nate's face, but he heard the sharp slap across his face from Nathaniel's open palm and felt the hot sting on his cheek as his head snapped to the side. He grit his teeth and sucked a breath through his nose in surprise before turning back to Nathanial and letting his eyes flutter open.

"I deserved that," he nodded, feeling his stinging cheek grow warm as the blood rushed to it from the slap.

"You're _damn _right you did," Nathanial choked, angry tears in his eyes. "How _could_ you?"

Blaine opened his mouth, but no words came out. He had no excuse for his actions.

"When?"

"We fooled around after his bachelor party," Blaine admitted.

Nate was shaking his head, "wow," he laughed.

"Nate—"

"We could have been _happy_ together, you know that?"

Blaine shook his head numbly, "you could, I couldn't."

Nate sniffled and took a deep breath, "fucking _Kurt,_" he swore. "I _loved_ you."

Blaine shook his head, "I wish I could say I had the same feelings, but I don't. It wasn't anything you could have done, it's all me. I-I _never_ meant to hurt you…"

Nate heaved a shaking sigh, and rose to his feet, lifting the bouquet of flowers as he went. Blaine stood too, keeping a few feet between himself and Nate. Nathanial looked down at the bouquet in his hand and sighed, slamming them into the empty trashcan next to the table. "I can't believe this," he muttered, thrusting his hands into his pockets. He glanced over at Blaine, "I can't believe _you_."

"I _am_ sorry, I didn't want to hurt you, o-or lead you on… I had to be honest with you, and honest with myself. I _did_ care for you. But the truth is, I never really got over _him_. I shouldn't have gotten you involved, but I thought I could love you, I _really_ did," Blaine shook his head. "But I still have all these feelings for Kurt that I need to sort out. I am deeply and _truly_ sorry Nate."

Nate nodded and sniffed, wiping his eyes one last time. "So this is it. This is goodbye."

"Yeah," Blaine nodded dropping his eyes.

"I never thought that it would come to this," Nate admitted, dropping his gaze to the sidewalk.

"We can still be friends."

Nate shook his head, "I don't think so Blaine, at least not right now. It-It hurts."

"I understand. I'm sorry," he said again, knowing that there would never be enough sorrys to fix what he had done.

"Me too," Nathanial sniffed. "I-I've got to go. Goodbye Blaine."

"Take care Nate." Blaine held out his hand and grasped Nate's briefly, eliciting a pained half-smile from Nate. Nathanial dropped Blaine's hand and walked away with his shoulders slumped, dejected and hurt.

Blaine watched him go, expecting to feel the guilt wash away and for him to feel relieved. He didn't. He felt worse. He felt terrible, monstrous even, for breaking Nate's heart. Just twenty minutes ago Nathanial was on cloud nine, the happiest Blaine had ever seen him. Now he was crushed. Blaine was all too familiar with that feeling and he felt despicable for inflicting that kind of pain on someone so genuinely caring.

He felt horrible for leading Nate on like he did, but ending things now was the right thing to do for everyone, especially Nate. Blaine couldn't bring himself to lead him on any longer, Nate deserved better. Maybe one day Nate would want a friendship with Blaine, but Blaine wouldn't blame him if that day never came. He hoped it would though, maybe one day he could make it up to Nate somehow. But for now, he just watched Nathanial Wise get lost in the crowd as it swallowed him up, never taking so much as a single backwards glance at Blaine or the coffee shop.

_You did the right thing. He deserves better. _He sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, using this reasoning to try and clear his heavy conscience. He wiped the salt from his face again and reentered the shop.

Elise was at the counter, watching him come through the door. He scuffed over to the counter and Elise planed a hand on the cheek that Nate had slapped, the flesh still a little pink and warm. "That went well," she said with a forced smile, trying to bring any sort of grin to Blaine's face.

His lips twitched up a little before they fell again. "I told him about Kurt. I broke up with him," Blaine murmured, fresh waves of guilt crashing over him as he said the words. "I just broke his heart."

Elise nodded, "it was for the best," she replied softly, placing a reassuring hand on his arm.

Blaine leaned against the counter and crammed his hands in his pockets, heaving a heavy sigh. His hand closed around Kurt's cellphone in his pocket and he felt the pit open up in his stomach again. He pulled it out and let it rest on his open palm, more missed messages flashing on the screen.

Elise nodded toward the phone, "Kurt's?" Blaine nodded, flipping the device over in his hand. "What are you going to do now?"

Blaine felt good about his resolve. He curled his hand around the cell phone and stuffed it back into his pocket. "I'm going to return this to Kurt."

Elise nodded, "you think you can handle that?"

"What I just did to Nate took a lot and I'm afraid if I don't go now, I'll never have the strength to face him," he sighed, untying the strings of his apron from around his back.

"I can look after the shop by myself. Go," she urged with a smile.

"Thanks Elise," he smiled, hugging her tight.

He left the shop and hailed the nearest taxi he could, hopping in and giving the directions to Kurt's apartment. He didn't know what he was going to say and his brain was too frazzled to think of anything. He took deep breaths and took Kurt's cell phone from his pocket, nervously turning it over and over in his hands. Would Kurt be home? Would Glen be there? Would Kurt talk to him? Would he even answer the door? Blaine had no idea, all he knew was he needed to talk to Kurt.

The cab rolled to a stop in front of the apartment building Blaine had been to just last night and he paid the driver. He skipped up the steps taking them two at a time until he hit the main lobby he had sprinted through less than twelve hours ago. Instead of going up the stairs he escaped down last night, he took the elevator up the Kurt's floor and stepped out on the correct landing, his pulse racing and thudding loudly in his ears. He took calming breaths as he made his way down the hall, coming to a stop in front of the familiar door. He closed his eyes and took deep breath, letting it out slowly, and rose his fist to the wood and rapped his knuckles against the surface.

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><p><em>Heavy stuff. Almost to the end here folks, we're in the home stretch now! See you Monday for the next chapter!<em>

_Thank you so much for reading!_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **_Hey guys! It's still technically Monday in my timezone, but just barely. Sorry for taking so long to update tonight. I've been fighting internet connection problems all evening. Internet at my school has been awful. Alright anyway, here is the new chapter_ _and __including this one there are three left! Thanks so much for all the reviews that have been coming in, I'm truly grateful for all of your support. Thanks a million for reading and enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>No answer. Blaine knocked again, longer and louder this time. Nothing. He took a shaking breath and felt his confidence waver, nearly failing him, his nerves fighting against it. He waited in front of the door, his body craving to flee but his mind rooting him to the carpet under the soles of his shoes. His resolve was fading fast, dissolving faster than a grain of salt in a glass of warm water. Perhaps Kurt wasn't home.<p>

Blaine waited silently in the hallway for a full minute before raising his knuckles to the door and knocking them loudly against the wood one last time. He waited in silence again, waiting for something, _anything_ to happen. Nothing did. He looked up at the door, giving it one last fleeting glance before sighing and dropping his head, his confidence shot and his nerves fraying. His shoulders slumped and he shook his head, it was a stupid idea anyway. He sighed and turned away from the door and began walking back the way he had come.

He had taken all of three steps before the wooden door flew open and banged loudly against the wall, echoing around the empty hallway. Blaine whirled around, his heart all but exploding behind his ribs.

Kurt stood in the doorway, his cheeks colorless as he took in Blaine who was frozen in the hallway. He had dark purple bags under his eyes and a scarf wrapped hastily around his pale neck though it was summer and the scarf didn't match his outfit in the slightest.

"Kurt," Blaine gasped, unable to make his brain form any other kind of intelligent response in his shocked state.

"Hi Blaine," he replied breathlessly, his voice an octave higher than normal. They stood there in the hall, neither man saying anything, just staring at each other like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck. Kurt shifted uncomfortably and clenched and unclenched his hands, his eyes bugging out of his head and his mouth pressed in a tight line. His lips parted and he drew a shallow breath, "would you like to come in?"

Blaine hesitated, feeling his confidence drain out of him like someone had pulled the plug in a full bathtub. "I-I…" he sighed, "sure." Blaine stepped past Kurt and into the apartment, his heart racing a mile a minute.

He strode into the kitchen and watched as Kurt followed him in and leaned against the counter across from where he was standing. Again, silence followed them into the room, the air thick and tense between the large gap between their bodies. Blaine reached into his pocket and withdrew Kurt's cell phone, holding it flat out on his palm, "last ni— you— I-I forgot this was in my pocket. Y-You asked me to hold it for you. I didn't mean to forget." Blaine stretched out his arm as far away from his body as it would go, unwilling to be the one to cross the no-man's-land space between them.

"Oh," Kurt replied briefly. He looked ambivalent about stepping forward, but he took the necessary two steps and reached for the phone, his long fingers lightly brushing against Blaine's. Both men recoiled from the contact, Blaine dropping his arm as soon as the cell phone left his palm and was safely held in Kurt's hand. Kurt stepped back as soon as he had the device and leaned back against the counter. He clicked the buttons on the cellphone and checked his messages, his eyes darting back and forth reading the text on the screen.

Blaine stood there awkwardly as Kurt checked his phone, unable to decide if he should flee out the door before Kurt had the chance to finish reading them or waiting it out. He felt like his heart was going to completely explode it was beating so hard and so fast against the inside of his ribs. _Why did I come here, this was a stupid idea._

"Thanks," Kurt said looking up from his phone before gingerly setting it down on the counter top behind him.

"You're welcome," Blaine replied, offering a quivering smile. They lapsed back into an uncomfortable silence once again, both of their eyes shifting and not settling for too long on one thing, especially not each other.

It was Kurt who broke the heavy silence this time, "I have to pick up my family from the airport."

Blaine nodded quickly, "right, I-I'll go." He hesitantly turned his back to Kurt and walked over to the front door, grabbing the knob tightly. He couldn't bring himself to open the door.

He took a deep breath through his nose and let it out noisily, feeling his determination flicker like a dying candle sputtering just before someone blew it out. "Kurt," he began. He released the door knob and turned to face Kurt who was still leaning against the counter in the kitchen, "last night…"

Kurt sighed and dropped his head, "Blaine," he said in a warning tone, the note in his voice clearly stating he didn't want it brought up.

"I think we need to talk," Blaine said hesitantly, walking back into the kitchen to where he had been standing before.

"About what specifically?" Kurt asked, arching an eyebrow. The paleness of his cheeks and the hard set of his mouth betrayed him, he knew what was coming.

"L-Last night. We need to talk about last night," Blaine stammered, twisting his fingers together anxiously.

Kurt shook his head, "oh no, we-we really don't."

"Kurt," Blaine said more firmly, looking up and meeting his startled gaze, "we _have _to discuss this."

"There is nothing to discuss," Kurt snapped, "_nothing_ happened last night."

"Right and you're wearing that scarf because it's fucking _cold_ outside," Blaine scoffed sarcastically.

Kurt scowled, "it's fashion Blaine, not that _you_ would know about that anymore."

"At least I know enough to _match_," Blaine grunted lunging forward and snatching the sloppily draped scarf from around Kurt's neck. The scarf slid away from Kurt's neck easily, and Blaine gripped the fabric in his hands tightly as he studied the hickeys that trailed along Kurt's pale neck. Blaine shook his head and angrily tossed the scarf back at Kurt.

The taller man didn't flinch, he simply snatched the scarf out of the air and slammed the garment down on the counter next to him, glowering at Blaine who stood a few feet back. With the scarf gone the evidence was in plain view and as if to make his point, Blaine roughly undid the first button on his shirt and yanked the collar down so that his own hickeys were in plain sight. Kurt studied them through narrow eyes, his jaw clenched and his nostrils flared.

"You can lie to everyone else Kurt, but you can't lie to yourself and you sure as _hell_ can't lie to _me_ about what happened last night," Blaine snarled.

"Just drop it Blaine!"

"No!" Blaine bellowed, his voice booming loud, "we _will_ discuss this!"

"There is _nothing _to discuss!"

"Like hell there isn't Kurt!"

Kurt's eyes burned with anger, "I was drunk! _We_ were drunk Blaine! Neither of us had any control over what we were doing!" Kurt bellowed back, his voice rough and cold.

"That's no excuse for—"

"We. Were. _Drunk_!" Kurt spat.

"I wasn't!" Blaine asserted, throwing his hands in the air.

"Excuse me?"

"I wasn't drunk last night," Blaine said again, his arms falling limply to his sides.

Kurt made repulsed noise deep in his throat, "I was drunk and you took _advantage_ of me?"

"No!" Blaine shouted again, "you—"

"You took advantage of me while I wasn't in control of my actions?"

Kurt demanded in an accusatory tone.

"I didn't—"

"How could you!"

"Don't you _dare_ make me out to be the bad guy here!" Blaine shouted, "you started it!"

"I—"

"_You _kissed _me_!" Blaine screamed, loud enough for it to probably reach the hallway.

"I was _drunk_! You're the one who took advantage of that!"

"No, _I_ stopped! Me! Not you!"

"I would _not_ have gone any further than we did," Kurt glared, his gaze defensive and seething.

"Really? From all the moaning you were doing last night, you could have fooled me," Blaine barked, purposefully aiming that low blow.

Kurt's cheeks flamed red hot, "I'm _engaged _to Glen_,_" he spat.

Blaine barked out a cold laugh, "funny," he laughed, "you told me you loved _me_ last night."

Kurt's already flushed cheeks turned a beet red, his eyes bulging in their sockets, "I was _drunk_," he snarled.

"Ever hear of the saying when alcohol talks, secrets walk?" Blaine asked angrily.

"For Christ's sake Blaine!" Kurt shouted, "it was just sex! That's it! Nothing more!"

Blaine felt like he had been physically punched, "so that's it then? That's all I'm good for now? After everything we've been through, that's all I'm good for? When your fucking _husband_ is gone all the time, you think you can just come to me? I'm just here to be your little fuck buddy? That's all I am to you?" Blaine demanded, every question louder and more hysterical than the last. "To _hell_ with me and how I feel, just so long as you get fucking laid?"

"No, it's not like that at all!" Kurt cried.

Blaine rolled his eyes threw his arms out again, "then what the hellis it?"

Kurt shook his head, "I don't know what you're getting at," he replied, crossing his arms in exasperation.

"Well," Blaine barked, his anger really boiling over, "last night was either one of two things. Either you were just using me because your God damn _fiancé _is too busy for you and you think I'm just a piece of ass that's going to be around for you to have whenever you want it—"

"I told you it's not—"

"Save it Kurt, let me finish," Blaine snapped, his body visibly shaking with rage. "Or you still have some kind of feelings for me. Which is it?"

Kurt shook his head, "I-I…" he stammered, his mouth opening and closing and his brow knitting together as the color in his cheeks drained.

"Which is it?" Blaine demanded again, trying to judge Kurt's answer from his face.

"No," Kurt replied.

"No what?"

"No! Neither! I don't know!" Kurt wailed, his hands flying into his hair and tangling in the chestnut locks at the nape of his pale neck.

"Of course you _know_!" Blaine yelled, his mounting frustrations were really boiling over now. After all this time he wanted answers, he _deserved _answers. What the hell was going on? Why did he just end his relationship with the perfect man? Why has he been tossing and turning at night for weeks? Why has his whole world been turned upside down? Kurt. All the answers lie with Kurt. And he wanted those answers _now_.

"What am I to you?" Blaine asked more calmly, shaking his head. "Am I anything to you? Anything at all?"

Kurt dropped his hands, "of course," he replied, his brow furrowing.

"Then what am I? Some guy you can just walk all over? Am I just here for you to play with me like a fucking yo-yo for your entertainment?"

"God, no Blaine!" Kurt shot back.

"Then what? I deserve answers Kurt. What was last night? What was it to you?" Blaine asked, his anger wavering.

Kurt's jaw went slack a moment before he clenched his teeth together and chewed his bottom lip.

Blaine heaved an exasperated sigh and thrust his hands into his pockets, Kurt's silence was more frustrating than his responses. "What have these last few weeks been to you? Did they _mean _anything? Or were you just setting me up—"

"Jesus Blaine! No! I was not setting you up for anything! I'm not using you! How many times to I have to say it?"

"Then, what was last night?" Blaine snarled, making each word one hard sentence. "How many times to have to ask it?"

Kurt heaved a hard, frustrated sigh, "we were just… fooling around!" he exclaimed grasping for words.

"Fooling around?" Blaine asked arching an eyebrow. Kurt nodded. "Ha! Fooling around? It started with a kiss, _you_ started it with a kiss. Then it turned into fooling around. _Then _you said you loved me. What the hell is that?" Blaine asked hysterically.

Kurt shook his head, his eyebrows knotting together angrily above his crystal eyes, "nothing," he grumbled defensively.

"You told me you love me."

"I don't."

Blaine nodded to himself, glaring at the floor, "want to know where I went after I left last night?" he half-snarled, looking back up at Kurt, "I went to Nate's apartment," he spat, letting Kurt fill in the blanks of what happened after that. He immediately regretted the words that came out of this mouth. Kurt didn't need to know that. _Why the hell did I just say that? _Blaine scolded himself. Was it an attempt to make Kurt jealous? _Yes. _Blaine grit his teeth and glared at the floor beneath his feet, feeling like an idiot. _Like he would be jealous_, his thoughts sneered. _Stupid._

Kurt was silent, so Blaine dared to look back at the man in front of him. Kurt winced and the color that had been building in his cheeks had flushed away, leaving pale white skin in its wake. The look confused him, he expected Kurt to retort with some snarky comment about sloppy seconds, but instead he was pale as a ghost and dead silent. Blaine's heart sputtered a moment, his frustration stuttering before rebuilding in his chest the longer Kurt was silent. He decided to seize the opportunity and try to get Kurt to say something, "you _do_ still have feelings for me."

"No I _don't_," Kurt asserted, regaining his composure.

"Your silence there just said more than anything you've said this whole conversation!" Blaine exclaimed before he could stop himself, his frustrations with Kurt and the whole situation building more and more. "You have feelings for me."

"No!" Kurt shouted, his cheeks taking on a pinkish hue again.

"You said so last night—"

"I told you last night meant _nothing_. I _do not _have feelings for you—"

"Just admit it!"

Kurt's face was beet read now, "_I AM NOT in love with you!_" he boomed.

Blaine closed his eyes and lunged forward, arms extended, and trapped Kurt's face in his hands. He brought his lips crashing down on Kurt's pressing them heatedly and firmly against Kurt's frozen, unmoving ones. The kiss was brief and dry, Blaine pulled away only so that his lips were barely touching Kurt's and opened his eyes. "Now," he breathed in a growl against Kurt's open mouth, "look me in the eye and tell me you didn't feel anything."

Kurt was breathless, "I—"

Blaine didn't give him the chance to respond, he pressed his lips against Kurt's again in another electric kiss. Kurt's lips were still immobile as Blaine moved his mouth against them anyway, his hands on Kurt's face tight as a vice. Kurt brought his hands up and pressed them against Blaine's chest, making to shove him away. But Blaine tightened his grip and deepened the kiss, pressing his open mouth flat against Kurt's lips.

He felt Kurt's tight muscles melt under his hands. Kurt sighed into the pressure and his lips finally sparked to life, molding themselves against Blaine's. Blaine sighed too, pressing himself flush with Kurt's body against the counter as Kurt's hands moved from Blaine's chest to the back of his neck to pull him closer. Their mouths moved quickly against each other's, their lips sucking hungrily as they clung to each other. In that moment they were Kurt and Blaine, nothing else.

Their bodies fused together and their mouths worked hastily, letting all the anger, frustration, and passion drive their lips. Their frantic heartbeats pounded furiously, and their bodies trembled as their heads were spinning and drunk off of each other.

Blaine could feel his whole body engulfed in a deep blush and he could feel the heat of Kurt's cheeks in the palms on his hands as they framed his face. His whole body was quivering uncontrollably as his tingling lips moved with Kurt's in wonderfully familiar, desperate patterns. His insides roiled as butterflies erupted his chest and fluttered in his limbs, his head getting cloudy.

Kurt's knees wavered and almost gave out on him, he clutched tighter to Blaine's neck for support. His lips faltered against Blaine's and Blaine could feel moisture spread over Kurt's cheeks under his thumbs. More tears fell from Kurt's clenched eyes and Blaine slowed his lips, his head buzzing as he came down from the high. He pressed his swollen lips softly and sweetly to Kurt's once more before pulling back and resting their foreheads together. He sighed in contentment and opened his eyes to see Kurt's wide blue ones staring back at him filled with tears. He brushed his thumbs gently over Kurt's cheeks, tenderly wiping away the salty tears.

Kurt drew a shaky breath, "why did you come to New York? Why did you have to come back?" he asked in a choked whisper.

Blaine sighed and shook his head slightly, the tip of his nose barely ghosting against Kurt's. "You want to know the _real_ reason I dropped out of school and lived in Ohio with my parents for five years?" he asked closing his eyes, "you. I stayed in Ohio for all that time because it was the only piece of you I had left," he breathed.

Kurt sniffed and Blaine wiped away more tears with his thumbs as their foreheads rested together. "What about now?" Kurt whispered sounding like a child, scared and vulnerable.

Blaine shook his head and shrugged his shoulders, "I left Nate."

Kurt pulled his forehead away to look Blaine dead in the eye, "b-but you said you went over to his apartment last night."

Blaine closed his eyes and took a deep breath, he needed to get this off his chest, "last night made me realize that _he_ isn't the man I'm in love with," he opened his eyes looked deeply into Kurt's, "I-I'm still in love you, Kurt."

Kurt's mouth fell open, his lips trembling, "I-I—," Kurt whispered, his voice hitching with a quiet sob.

"Say it," Blaine whispered pressing his forehead against Kurt's again. "P-Please Kurt, I need to hear it," he begged clenching his eyes shut.

"Blaine," Kurt whined quietly, squeezing his eyes shut to bite back more tears.

"Please," Blaine breathed, barely a whisper. He placed a tiny kiss on the tip of Kurt's nose, "please," he breathed. He pressed another kiss on Kurt's jaw, "please Kurt, I _need _to know," he begged in a whisper, his voice breaking. He pulled back and looked into Kurt's crystal eyes, fighting the tears that Kurt had already given into. He gently brushed his thumbs across Kurt's cheekbones and leaned in, "please," he breathed against Kurt's lips before kissing him tenderly, his lips just barely putting pressure against Kurt's. Tears had broken through his lashes by the time he pulled away from the kiss, "tell me," he begged, his voice thick with emotion.

Kurt's face crumbled and his whole body went limp under Blaine's touch, dissolving with a sob as he fell into Blaine. Blaine wrapped his arms securely around Kurt, as he fell into his arms and sobbing loudly into his shoulder. Kurt wrapped his arms around Blaine and clutched him close, his whole body shaking and muffled sobs ripping their way up his throat.

Blaine was crying too, finally giving into the tears he had been so desperately trying to fight. He held Kurt tightly and pressed a kiss into the man's temple. Blaine brought his hand to the back of Kurt's neck and ran his fingers through the hair at the base of his skull, whispering broken soothing words in his ear as he cried with Kurt.

"Shhh, it's o-okay Kurt. Shhhhhh," Blaine breathed in his ear, trying to keep his voice as controlled and reassuring as his own tears would allow. Kurt didn't say anything in return, he just sobbed and clutched onto Blaine for dear life as Blaine whispered to him and placed tiny kisses on any inch of flesh he could reach without moving Kurt. He placed another on Kurt's neck over the bruises he made last night, "it'll b-be alright." He rubbed small circles in between Kurt's shoulder blades when he started calming down, his sobbing less hysterical and turning into small whimpers. The tears didn't ebb though, even when he lifted his head from Blaine's shoulder and loosened his death-grip on the shorter man. Blaine brought one hand up and wiped away Kurt's tears, brushing along his cheeks with a feather light touch. He gave the best reassuring smile he could while he still cried and planted a firm kiss on Kurt's forehead, eliciting a light sob from the taller man.

Kurt took a deep and quivering breath, "Blaine," he began jaggedly, "I-I think I meant what I said last night," he choked out in between gasps, "and you're right. I-I still care about you. A lot," he sniffled.

Blaine's heart stopped, "y-you do?" he breathed.

Kurt clenched his eyes and nodded, "and I wasn't using you last night, Blaine," he blurted, his words coming out in a rush. "I would never, _ever_ do that to you. I never wanted to hurt you," he continued, drawing a shallow breath, "because I still love you."

Blaine's heart bounded through his chest, a smile quirked the corner of his lips and he felt elated, the tears flowing from his eyes extending from his sheer joy and relief. Those few words were the single most beautiful words in the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. He pressed his lips to Kurt's again with the corners of his lips still lifted in a grin, their tears mingling together. He pulled away and rested their foreheads together, his eyes closed and a relieved smile spread over his face.

"I've never stopped loving you, Kurt," he whispered, his voice a little thick. Kurt gave a tiny sob and clenched his eyelids shut, the tears still seeping through his lashes. "I love you," Blaine said again, basking in the glorious feeling of being able to say those three words and mean _every_ one of them. Kurt started sobbing harder again, releasing Blaine and burying his face in his hands. "Kurt, what's wrong?" Blaine rubbed his hands along Kurt's arms, trying to calm him down again. "Don't cry," Blaine cooed, "everything's fine," he said, a smile dawning on his face.

"No!" Kurt wailed into his hands, his sobs coming harder and harder until his shoulders were shaking and his chest was heaving. "None of it matters!"

"What's wrong? Kurt, calm down," Blaine soothed wrapping his arms around Kurt's trembling frame.

Kurt shoved Blaine away, gasping for air, "Don't you get it?" Kurt shrieked frantically wiping fresh tears from his face.

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked, completely clueless.

"This doesn't change _anything_!" Kurt sobbed pulling at his hair.

Blaine could feel the tears welling in his eyes again, terror gripping his chest, threatening to send him spiraling, "w-what are you saying?" he asked quietly, his voice breaking.

"It doesn't matter Blaine! _Nothing_ matters! We _can't_ do this!" Kurt wailed throwing his hands in the air. He wrapped his arms around his middle and sobbed.

Blaine couldn't breathe, his throat closed and his heart felt like it was going to fall out of his chest. "Y-Yes we can. We can try. I'll do anything," Blaine stammered. Kurt shook his head and let out a broken sob. "Please!" Blaine cried, eyes burning with tears. "I love you!" He stumbled forward and reached for Kurt who only shoved Blaine's arms away. "What can I do?" Blaine asked, his voice hitching.

"There is nothing _to_ do, Blaine!" Kurt cried, "I'm getting married tomorrow!"

"Y-You're still getting married to _him_?"

"Ye—"

"But you said you're in love with _me_!" Blaine wailed, his nails biting the inside of his palms as he balled his fists.

"You think this is easy?" Kurt cried, hot tears falling down his cheeks. "To know I've hurt you so much? Do you think this has been _any_ easier for me? Damn it Blaine, do you think I haven't regretted losing you?" Kurt asked, swiping away the tears from his face. "I _never_ wanted to lose you. I got distracted with everything else around me and I couldn't make enough time for you. I knew I was hurting you by being so distant and I cried myself to sleep for _months_ because I felt like I was slipping away from you and I couldn't stop myself no matter how hard I tried!" he howled. "And then Glen came along and I got so confused. He showered me with all of this attention that I had been missing and the night he kissed me I stayed up all night crying because I knew I had slipped too far away from you to come back."

Blaine could feel his eyes burning as he listened to Kurt, all the thoughts he had built up over the years scrambling up in an unintelligible mess.

"I couldn't string you along anymore, I _knew _how much I was upsetting you and distracting you from school. I had to set you free. I thought I was doing what was best for both of us."

"You think running off with Glen was _best_ for us?" Blaine asked, his voice cracking on the last word.

"No!" Kurt exclaimed throwing his hands up in front of him, "but we couldn't fix what we had. I moved on and assumed you did too. I didn't know you went back to Ohio."

Blaine could feel the hole Kurt's admission punched through his chest. He had always blamed Kurt for his heart ache, he always assumed Kurt wasn't hurting at all. Blaine wiped some residual tears off his cheeks with the back of his hand, "and if you were so happy with Glen, why did you bother talking to me these last few weeks?"

"I wanted to make things right between us," he murmured, "I wanted to be your friend again. I've missed you. I didn't realize until it was too late that I still have feelings for you."

Blaine shook his head and placed his hands on Kurt's upper arms, "it's not too late," he murmured hopefully.

Kurt squeezed more tears through his eyelids and nodded, "it is. I'm getting married to Glen tomorrow."

"But what about this?" Blaine choked shaking Kurt's shoulders lightly, "Us. You said you still love me."

Kurt sobbed, "I know. I know," he whispered.

Blaine saw the defeat in Kurt's eyes and refused to let him give up. "He's no good for you Kurt!" Blaine wailed. "He doesn't love you like _I_ do!"

"He does—"

"He's never here! You're unhappy," Blaine sniffed.

"I-I'm happy…."

Blaine shook his head, "_we_ were happy once. I can make you happy, Kurt. Please just give me a chance," he begged.

"And what Blaine?" Kurt snapped meeting his eyes and shrugging Blaine's hands off him. "Just let you sweep me off my feet again? We aren't seventeen anymore! We're in the real world, with real problems."

"Please," Blaine whispered, "I'll do _anything_."

"It didn't work the first time, why would it work now?"

"Just give me another chance to show you why you fell in love with me all those years ago."

"I have too much invested with Glen, what do you want me to do Blaine?"

"Be with me," Blaine answered swallowing hard and fighting back the tears.

"It's not that simple," Kurt sniffed, crossing his arms.

"_Yes_ it is," Blaine breathed stepping close to Kurt and running his hands over his upper arms. He brought his hand up and gripped Kurt's chin, making him look into his eyes. "I love you, Kurt Hummel." Blaine leaned in and kissed Kurt sweetly, trying to convey every feeling of his being in that one kiss. Kurt kissed him back with the same passion and tender intensity Blaine was feeling, his lips still trembling.

Kurt pulled away and placed a hand on Blaine's cheek. "And I love you, Blaine Anderson," he whispered, Blaine smiled a broken smile. "But we can't. I can't be with you. I can't keep hurting you." Kurt keened. "Sorry will never be enough to fix what I've done. I'm marrying Glen. You have to let me go."

Blaine shook his head, and placed his hand on Kurt's that was resting on his cheek, tears welling in his eyes, "why must I always say goodbye to you?" he whispered to himself in defeat. He ran his hand over the residual tears on his cheeks, fighting the urge to sob. This is it. Blaine could feel his chest fill with lead as the life just drained out of his face. He couldn't bear to stay any longer, else he be reduced to a pile of bones sobbing at Kurt's feet. "You have to pick up your family," he mumbled dejectedly. "I-I should go." He dropped their hands and left Kurt standing alone in the kitchen. He strode into the living room and reached for the door handle.

"Wait!" Kurt called stepping out of the kitchen, "will I see you tomorrow?"

Blaine dropped his head but didn't turn away from the door as he answered, "you know I would do anything for you Kurt, but _please_ don't ask me watch your father give you away to another man." He turned to face Kurt who had tears in his eyes again, "goodbye Kurt." Blaine turned toward the door again and turned the handle, pushing the heavy wooden door open.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried, bounding across the room in three long strides. Blaine turned just in time for him to catch Kurt in his arms as the taller man crashed into him. Kurt cupped his face in his hands and pressed his lips firmly against Blaine's. Blaine sighed into the kiss, letting himself feel everything, knowing it would be the last time he held this man in his arms. He wrapped Kurt up and held him close, losing himself there in the open doorway of the apartment.

The kiss lasted a long time, neither man willing to break the embrace and destroy the little bubble of tragic happiness that surrounded them. Blaine could feel his heart physically breaking in his chest the longer he held the kiss, the pain too much to bear.

Kurt was the one to break contact first, leaning back and looking Blaine in the eye, "I love you, Blaine," he whispered brokenly.

"I'll _always_ love you, Kurt," he murmured in reply, letting his arms slide from Kurt's waist and fall to his sides. He stepped backward into the hall without breaking eye contact with Kurt until he was completely out of the apartment. Kurt brought a hand up to cover his mouth as he reached for the doorknob and slowly closed the door in Blaine's face, the lock clicking into place with a deafening finality. Blaine could hear a muffled sob come from the other side of the door and turned away, unable to stand alone in the hall anymore, his body yearning to open the door and wrap Kurt in his arms.

He left the apartment building and hailed a cab, his actions numb and robotic. He couldn't feel anything anymore and yet he felt everything all at once. He didn't know what to feel. He didn't _want_ to feel. The cab ride was long and lonely as he was left alone with his scrambled mind and the ripping ache in his chest. He paid the driver mechanically when they arrived at his apartment and he took the stairs slowly, unable to make his body move any faster. His whole world had turned upside down in a matter of days and he didn't know what to do, there was nothing _to_ do. He collapsed onto his bed fully clothed, exhaustion and pain making him weary, and passed out.

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><p><em>Wow. Okay, so it's getting a little heavy here, sorry! And Again, sorry for the internet connection issues and posting so late tonight. Thank you so so so much for reading and I'll see you Thursday for the next chapter!<em>

_~ Jess  
><em>


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N: **_Hello everyone! It is Thursday so as always I have the new chapter for you. There is only one chapter left after this one so it's almost over! Kind of weird to think about since I've been leading up to this point for almost a year now... Anyway, thank you for reading and thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews, they really have made this journey amazing. Enjoy the chapter!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>The world was shaking, a thrumming quake that rocked the mattress Blaine was splayed out upon. He didn't stir, he just let the rumbling go on as he lie there in a semi-conscious state. If it was some sort of earthquake or natural disaster, maybe it would bring the building down on top of him, <em>anything<em> to escape the tight sensation gripping his chest. He couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, he didn't want to ever open them again, he never wanted to see the light of day. What was the point? Instead, he let the earth shake and the pain swallow his heart. What was worse, was the pain in his chest got more and more severe as he became more and more conscious.

Snapshots of Kurt flashed behind his eyelids, his blue eyes, his smile, his blush, the way he walked, his regal elegance. Sensations soon accompanied the pictures, the taste of his lips, the sound of his voice, the feel of his smooth skin, the sound of his sigh. Was this a dream? His heart beat faster and his skin grew feverishly hot, the images turning nightmarish. The smile turned into a painful grimace, the eyes swam with tears, his lips tasted of salt tainted by the tears he shed. The pit of Blaine's stomach fell out leaving him hollow and nauseas as he was trapped in this perpetual nightmare while the earth trembled beneath him.

Next what hit him was a crash of misery bringing the roaring torrent of heartache with it. His heart was beating too fast, his skin slicked in a cold sweat, head spinning and pounding, his stomach knotting and becoming more and more acidic, a lump rising in his throat. He felt sick, as though he was going to vomit, the bile creeping up his throat. He slowly became more and more conscious as his nausea grew. The bed was shaking around him, forcefully bringing him out of his unconsciousness. A loud sound was muffled in his ear, something he became more and more aware of as he ascended the levels into consciousness. Soon the sound took on the pattern of a voice, a familiar voice.

"Blaine? Hey, Blaine?" the garbled voice spoke in his ear. His head was spinning, already feeling light headed as he came to. He was panting, his lungs burning under his thrashing heart. "Blaine!" the voice asked more frantically, the mattress shook more violently under him. He felt a sharp pain on the side of his face and heard a hard smack. "Wake up! You're scaring me!" the voice commanded. Blaine's stomach rolled violently and snapped him into consciousness, his eyes flying open. "Thank God," the familiar voice exclaimed and the mattress stopped shaking. Blaine didn't even look to see who had woken him, he scrambled out of bed and made a bee-line for his bathroom, the bile surging up his throat. He barely made it to the toilet in time.

He kneeled over the white porcelain bowl and let his stomach violently empty its burning contents. He hadn't eaten for a while so nothing really came up, just stomach acid accompanied by painful dry heaving. He was slicked in sweat and burning up as he dry heaved into the toilet again. "Blaine?" came the voice, muffled in his ringing ears. He moaned into the toilet in response, his reply cut off by another bout of dry heaving. His palms were slick against the smooth surface of the bowl and his body began to tremble all over. Someone began rubbing small circles in between his shoulder blades.

"Oh Blaine," Elise sighed as she rubbed her hand on his back. Blaine shuddered and let out a sob into the toilet before he dry-heaved again. "Shhh," she cooed. Tears were flowing in tracks down Blaine's face over the sheen of sweat that was already there and his body began shaking more. He couldn't take the pain, it was too much.

With a wild sob, Blaine whirled around and clutched onto Elise, trying desperately to anchor himself to the earth that seemed like it was spinning off without him. She held him close, running her fingers through his sweat dampened hair and patting his back. He sobbed uncontrollably into her shoulder, letting himself feel everything all at once. Like a monstrous tidal wave crashing on the shore, his pent up emotions overwhelmed him, threatening to drag him under if it weren't for Elise tethering him in place. The ripping sobs cutting through the silence of the apartment didn't even sound human, just a loud and unintelligible strangled chorus.

His whole body shook like a leaf in a hurricane under her touch and no matter how tightly she held him, he seemed to fall apart more and more at the seams. He couldn't help himself, the pain was too much to bear, and he couldn't keep it inside any longer. His chest physically hurt, a ripping, tearing, biting, stinging, burning, ache engulfing his heart and squeezing it hard, making it difficult to breathe. He gasped in air when his lungs responded, his throat burning from the acid he just forcefully expelled. It was too much. It was all too much.

Elise didn't say much as she held him there, sitting on the bathroom floor of Blaine's apartment. She didn't protest when he clutched her so tight it was hard for her to breathe and she didn't pry his hands off her shirt when he fisted his hands in the fabric. She just sat there with him in her lap as he sobbed uncontrollably and inconsolably. He didn't need consoling, he needed to get everything out, every last drop of sorrow and anguish needed to be flushed out of his system. So, she sat there and let him.

Every time the sobs would become less bestial, a fresh wave of pain would hit him, a part of his memory constantly reminding him of his crippling sorrow. He was torturing himself, unable to break out of this cycle of self-inflicted horror. What was the point of trying? At least the pain was something tangible he could hold onto, at least the pain in his chest let him know his heart was still beating even though it was broken.

And beat, his heart did. It cast out a keening song as it shattered in his chest, crying out to Kurt, the _only_ man that had ever been able to break his heart. His head was spinning, his skin coated in a cold sweat, his eyes streaming with burning tears, his stomach turning and rolling; he was a mess and it seemed like the torture would never relinquish its hold on him.

It may have been minutes or hours by the time he cried himself dry and sobbed himself hoarse there in Elise's arms on the bathroom floor. He came back into reality and it was cold, the chill from the sheen of sweat tying into the feel of the cold tile of the bathroom floor made him shiver. He couldn't sob any longer, his vocal cords rough and raw from overuse, so he sniffed and let out breathless whimpers even though his tear ducts had dried up. His body was physically incapable of mourning any longer, but his heart wouldn't let him stop. The sting was still there in his chest and his lungs felt too heavy for him to draw breath.

Elise picked up on it when it seemed like the worst was over and slowly leaned away from the limp man in her arms. She held his chin in between her finger and her thumb and brought his red eyes up the meet hers. She sighed and ran her hand through his damp, tangled nest of curls, "why don't you take a warm shower?" she suggested loosening her grip on him. He nodded. She rose from the floor and reached out a hand to him, he slowly and shakily got to his feet, his limbs cramped form the awkward position he had been contorted in. "I'll be right in the other room if you need anything," she reassured him. She gave him a wavering smile, trying to be as reassuring as she could even though seeing him this miserable was tearing her up inside, and left the bathroom closing the door behind her.

He stared at the door after her, unwilling to move. His whole body went from a searing pain to numb. He couldn't feel anything, and he much preferred this to the torture he had just endured. He shuffled to the toilet and flushed the acid in the bowl before turning on the shower, setting the water to the hottest temperature the dial would go. He was freezing, his clothes soaked in a chilling sweat and he was unwilling to strip down to get into the shower, but he eventually did, his movements slow and detached. He left his clothes scattered about the floor as he stepped into the steaming shower.

He stood under the beating water, staring at the temperature dial, feeling too drained to do much. If he had expected the warm water to wash away his feeling of emptiness, he was wrong. If he was hoping it would take away the chill in his bones, he was wrong. The steaming water warmed his skin, but it didn't penetrate any further. Inside, he felt cold and numb, his heart was heavy and frigid, not a drop of warmth to be found.

He felt alone, he felt like he would never feel anything but this numbness ever again. He looked up and closed his eyes, letting the water splash over his tired eyes, the temperature stinging his sensitive eyelids. He let his body act on its own accord, washing his hair and scrubbing his skin, not really feeling any of the movements.

He spent a long time in the shower, unwilling to leave and face everything once he stepped out of its warm embrace. The hot water slowly turned cool and Blaine gave up on trying to wash away his sorrows and stepped out of the shower, toweling off as he went back into his bedroom. On his bed were neatly folded clothes, set out by Elise he assumed. He dressed in the plain tee-shirt and the comfortable sweats deftly and left his room to enter the kitchen and face Elise. As he meandered down the hallway the smell of breakfast hit his nose making him feel nauseous, his stomach cringing at the thought of food.

Elise was busy over an iron skillet on the stove, cooking eggs by the look of it. On the center island of the kitchen rested a single plate with buttered toast on it meant for Blaine who sat in front of it, warring with himself on how best to get Elise to leave him to wallow alone. She turned to the counter and slid the eggs onto his plate in one swift movement before casting the sizzling pan into the cold water of the sink faucet. The smell hit his nose and he wrinkled it, food just did not seem appealing to him at all.

Elise saw him turn up his nose at the food and sighed as she slumped down into the stool across from Blaine. "You need to eat," she sighed pushing the fork into his hand, "this is pretty mild so it won't be too rough on your stomach and if it is, it won't be too unpleasant if you throw it up. _Eat_." Blaine took a slice of toast and bit a small corner off and chewed slowly to appease her.

He chewed the toast in silence and looked past Elise out the window where the streets of New York were being beaten by a driving rain from the dark clouds overhead. He took another bite of toast as he stared numbly out the window at the rain, feeling the irony of the pouring rain to the storm cloud in his chest. Elise got up and poured him a glass of water, setting it gently on the countertop next to his hand, silently urging him to drink.

Blaine glared at the cup and swallowed the food in his mouth, "Elise," he croaked, his voice hoarse, "you don't have to—"

"_Yes_ I do," she cut him off, taking his hand.

"You should go, I'm sure you're pretty busy," he tried again. He knew he must have sounded like an ass, but he just needed her gone. He hated acting like this but all he wanted to do was curl up in a ball by himself and never move again, he didn't want anyone else to be privy to his mourning.

"Blaine, I can't leave you alone like this," she sighed tightening her grip on his cold fingers.

"I'm fine," he replied, his inflectionless tone betraying his lie. Elise caught onto it and looked at him through narrow eyes. He sighed in defeat, "I just want to be alone."

She shook her head, "that's not going to do you any good. Wallowing alone in the dark for hours on end will drive you up the wall. I'm staying."

Blaine sighed and shook his head, stabbing his eggs with his fork and chewing them slowly, ignoring Elise entirely. He knew he had no right to be frustrated with her, but the only thing he wanted was to be alone.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked tentatively as he ate.

"No," he replied bluntly, setting his fork down on his plate and rubbing a hand over his face. Talking was becoming a chore, his voice getting thick again and his eyes pricking with the threat of tears. He held them back though, gritting his teeth and focusing on the food on his plate. Elise was trying to help him, he just didn't want her to be there. Why couldn't she understand?

"I got rid of the flowers," she muttered a few minutes later. Blaine looked up and noticed an empty vase in the drying rack next to the sink, "they were from Nate and I figured that you would rather not have them around."

Blaine blinked, he had never even thought to throw the flowers away and he felt guilty that he had forgotten all about Nate and how he was probably feeling this very moment. _Probably just as heart-broken as I am, _Blaine thought to himself.

"I'm sorry if that was overstepping," Elise apologized, mistaking Blaine's hurt look for resentment towards her, "I thought seeing them would bring back memories you didn't want—"

"Thank you," Blaine cut her off. "You're right, I just didn't think to do that when I got back."

Elise smiled, "you're welcome." They lapsed into another silence and Blaine continued to pick at his eggs, hoping the silence would drive Elise out of his apartment. Yet, there she sat across the countertop holding his free hand like she was keeping him there. "I tried calling you a bunch of times yesterday and this morning, but you didn't pick up," she began, "I got really worried about you."

"Oh," he replied, feeling the guilt flare through his numbness for a second, "sorry," he mumbled, without meeting her glance.

"Blaine?" she asked squeezing his fingers, bringing his eyes up to hers, "wh-what happened yesterday?"

Blaine shook his head numbly and felt nauseous again. He shoved the plate of food away from him as his stomach rolled, the numbness he had settled into turning into the hell he just went through before his shower. He retracted his hand from Elise's and buried his face in his hands, breathing deeply to keep himself from spiraling again. _No more, _he moaned internally. If this was the cycle he was going to go through over and over again he was going to really lose it. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly, feeling the ache in his chest set in again.

"Blaine? Talk to me," Elise encouraged, "you can't bear this pain alone," she reached across the countertop and rubbed her hand in a soothing pattern on his arm. He took a slow, deep breath through his nose and looked up at Elise from behind his fingers. She smiled up at him and her eyes were concerned, but she put on a brave face for him. She reached up and tangled her fingers in his and pulled his hands away from his face and clutched them on the table top between them.

He gave her a small smile and nodded before pausing to draw another deep breath, "yesterday I went to see K-Kur-Kurt," he began, the name sticking in his throat and stabbing him in the chest. Elise squeezed his fingers in encouragement. "I wanted to talk about what happened. He didn't want to bring it up so we argued."

Elise nodded, "you needed to talk about it," she agreed.

"Right," Blaine sniffed, feeling the tears bite his eyes in anticipation of what came next. "I-I told him that I love him," Blaine whispered without looking up. A singular tear trickled down the bridge of his nose and splashed on the table.

"What did he say?" she asked. "Was he pissed? Did he yell at you?"

Blaine shook his head and let out a sob, "no! That would have been _easier_!" he moaned as another tear broke through his lashes.

"What did he say to you?"

Blaine gripped her hands tightly and took a shaking breath in a desperate attempt to keep his voice even. "h-he—" Blaine let out a choked sob and began to tremble. "He told me he loves me."

Elise paused and was taken aback at this turn of events, "why are you so heart-broken?" she asked stroking his hand with her thumb, "shouldn't that make you happy?"

Blaine shook his head, "h-he's still marrying Glen," he sniffled as more tears began sliding down his cheeks. His lip began to tremble and he clamped his lips together and took a shaking breath through his nose. "I expected him to be angry with me and t-to tell me he never wanted to see me again. I expected him to tell me we made a mistake. I needed to hear those things from him, I needed him to tell me that there was never any chance for us," he paused and shook his head, "but for him to tell me he has the same feelings I have hurts worse than if he told me he hated me and never wanted to see me again. J-Just knowing that there was a chance for us, a _small_ chance, and he said no to it. Like nothing meant _anything _to him. He chose Glen, and he will _always_ choose Glen over me. No matter how much I love him, how much I beg, how many tears I shed over him, he won't be mine." Blaine began sobbing, resting his forehead against the crook of his elbow as his heart broke again at the truth in his own words.

Elise rushed over to the stool next to him and wrapped her arm around his trembling shoulders and chaffed her hand against his arm. He lifted his head and wiped the streaks of tears from his face. "I'm so _tired_," he sobbed, "I'm t-tired loving him. I'm tired of crying over him."

Elise reached up and brushed more tears away from his cheeks, "you deserve to be happy. You are the kindest, sweetest person I have _ever_ met Blaine, if anyone deserves to be happy it's you."

"I'm not happy like this. I'm not without him," he cried. Blaine shook his head and wiped his eyes, "I want to st-stop loving him," he sniffed, "but I _can't_." He glanced over into his living room at the clock above his television and sobbed, his stomach dropping and feeling like it was full of sand. It read 11:00AM.

Elise followed his gaze and sighed, gripping his shoulder tight, "the wedding is still on for one o'clock this afternoon then?" she asked. He closed his eyes and nodded. "Will you go?"

He shook his head slowly, "I can't. I won't be able to sit there and watch him walk down that aisle and exchange vows with someone else. That's just not something my heart can take," he whispered gripping his chest.

"You won't go to support him and to see your friends?"

He took a shaking breath and let it out in a frustrated gust. "I feel like I should go for-for Kurt, but I _can't_," he buried his face in his hands, "God I feel so guilty."

"You shouldn't feel guilty," she said rising from her seat and snatching the roll of paper towels from the countertop. She tore one off and handed it to Blaine who wiped his eyes and blew his nose noisily. She stood next to the center island and watched him wipe away his tears. "Have you ever thought of just walking into the wedding and _taking_ Kurt back?" she asked.

Blaine glanced up at her and sniffled, "what?"

"You know like in the movies. When the priest or whoever is performing the ceremony says 'speak now or forever hold you peace' and you just stand up in the middle of the crowded church and say 'I object!'," Elise pounded her fist on the table for effect and grinned at Blaine. He glared up at her with his mouth set in an incredulous line. She beamed at him, "yeah! You can just _shove_ through the crowd and march your ass down that aisle in front of God and everybody and tell Kurt how much you love him!"

"Elise—"

"Just walk right up to him and plant a kiss on him right in front of everyone! Right in front of that douche bag Glen."

"Elise—"

"There's _no_ _way_ he can say no to that. It's the most romantic thing ever! Then he will call the wedding off and you and him can be together—"

"_Elise_!" Blaine barked. She stopped and her grin fell into a frown. "This isn't a _God_ _damn_ movie!" he half shouted. "I can't just waltz in there and ruin a perfectly good wedding on a whim. Kurt did not _choose_ me. If he had, there would be no wedding to barge into. If he wanted me, this would all just be a bad dream, but it's _not_. It's reality," he stopped and glared up at his friend who looked crest-fallen. He sighed, "We're in the real world, Elise. I wish I could just go up to Kurt and tell him to run away with me, but I can't. I can't do that to Glen and I can't ask Kurt to do that because I already know his answer. It's no, and it will _never_ change."

"And what makes you so sure it won't?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe all he needs is a little conformation that you really _do_ love him. He needs a little more than a fling and you to just _say_ you love him for him to just up and leave a long-term relationship. You need to _show_ him you aren't willing to give up on him," Elise sat down on the stool next to him and patted his knee in encouragement.

Blaine's jaw moved a few times like his mouth wanted to form words, but he gave up and just let out a defeated sigh. "I wish it were that easy. If getting him back was as easy as walking into that wedding I would do it in a heartbeat. But it's a little more complicated than that. This is what Kurt wants. He _wants_ a life with Glen, that was the choice he made. I can't just go and ruin one of the happiest days of his life because I'm selfish. I won't do that to Kurt," he paused and swallowed hard. "H-He doesn't want me. I'm not enough for him. He's happy with Glen."

"What if you go and he takes you back? What if you walk into that wedding and show him how much you love him and he leaves Glen? Won't that make everything else worth it?" she suggested.

He blinked back the tears welling in his eyes, "and what if I go and he _doesn't_? I couldn't bear his rejection. Not again," he whispered, his voice breaking.

Elise nodded, "what about you then? Don't you deserve to be happy too? Being happy doesn't mean you're _selfish_, Blaine."

He closed his eyes and shook his head, "doesn't matter," he mumbled. "Kurt is happy, that's all I want right now. As long as he's happy, I'm happy—"

"No you're not, you're miserable and you know it. You aren't fooling anyone," Elise interjected coolly.

"Well I'll find some way to be happy eventually. But right now all I want to do is go back to bed and be _alone_," he replied coldly, looking pointedly at Elise.

"If that was a subtle hint for me to leave, I missed it," she snipped.

He glanced up at her and sighed in frustration before turning in his seat and ignoring her totally. She sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, but he just kept his back to her. She heaved a sigh, "I'm just trying to help, okay?"

His shoulders slumped and he turned back to face her, "I know, but right now I don't think I can be helped. I just need to get over him," his voice cracked.

"It'll be hard, but I know you _will_ get through this. And you will always have me here for you, no matter what," she gripped his shoulder and gave him a reassuring smile. He offered her a wavering smile in turn and picked at a sheet of paper towel. "What are you going to do?" she asked.

"What _can_ I do? I just need to pick myself up by the bootstraps and deal with it."

"How?"

His brain scrambled around for some sort of answer and only came across one, "maybe I should leave."

"Leave?" she questioned, furrowing her brow.

"Yeah. Maybe I should just get on a plane and get the hell out of this city," Blaine mused aloud.

"Like take a vacation?" Elise asked.

He shook his head, "no. Like leave the city and never come back."

She frowned, "no! What would leaving solve?"

He shrugged, "I just don't know if I'll be able to ever even speak to him again. What if I run into him on the street some place? Even if I do manage to get over him, he will just pull me right back in again. No matter how much I fight him, I'm not strong enough and I _can't_ fall in love again with a married man Elise."

She shook her head to expel the tears welling in her vision, "please don't go. You're my best friend, I need you here. And the shop wouldn't function without you. You've seen the teenagers I hired to work the weekends, they're _hopeless_." He let out a single breathy laugh and nodded. "Please don't go," she begged.

"I just can't find a way around it, either I stay and pine after a married man, or I leave and let myself heal," he thought out loud.

"Where would you even go? Back to Ohio?"

"No," he replied bluntly.

"Then where?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders, "back to California maybe. I might still have time to enroll in the fall semester, I could go back to school and finish my degree. Become an actor or a singer. Live the dream I'd always wanted."

She nodded, "but running away from your problems won't _solve_ anything," she asserted. "Not in the long run anyway."

"Maybe it's my only option."

Elise opened her mouth to speak when a shrill ringing shattered the silence. They both jumped and Elise's hand flew into her pocket, whipping out her cellphone and bringing it to her ear in one swift movement. "Hello?" she responded. "WHAT?" she shrieked into the speaker, shooting out of her seat. "How the hell did you manage to do _that_?" she demanded. She began pacing back in fourth in a small line, her steps quick and angry. "Well have you tried to get him out?" she asked in exasperation. She stopped pacing and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. "Alright. No it's fine. Uh-huh. Right. No it's fine, don't cry," she sighed into the phone, "I'll be right there." She hung up her phone and shoved it angrily into her pocket.

Blaine looked at her quizzically. She sighed, "one of the guys at the shop got his hand stuck in the oven while it was hot," she sighed, "I have to go get the dumbass un-stuck. I'll be back in a few hours after I get the kid to the hospital and call his parents." She stormed over to the apartment door and wrenched it open. Elise glanced back at Blaine over her shoulder, "don't do anything or go anywhere until I get back alright? I'll be back as soon as I possibly can."

Blaine nodded his head and waved her out. She gave him one last fleeting glance before turning and closing the door behind her.

The apartment was silent, the only sound was the driving rain pattering against the glass windows outside the building. Instead of feeling relieved when she left, he just felt cold and even more alone. He glanced out the window again at the sheets of rain running down the glass and sighed, _maybe telling her to go was a bad idea…_ he couldn't help think to himself as he watched the rain.

Without the distraction of his friend, his heart felt heavy again, sinking in his chest. He swept his half eaten breakfast off the counter and dumped it in the trash, tossing the plate in the sink without washing it. He began pacing around his apartment, just looking for something to keep his mind off the clock as it slowly ticked closer and closer to 1:00. He glanced fleetingly at his guitar case laying on the couch. His hand hovered over the clasp for only an instant before he dropped his arm, music wasn't the escape he craved. He rushed into his room and snatched his laptop off his dresser before returning into his living room and plopping down on the couch next to his guitar case.

He flipped it open and pulled up the internet, waiting rather impatiently for the page to fully load. He typed in the website he had in mind and waited again for the page to come up. His eyes scanned the page quickly, clicking links that lead him toward his destination. He sighed and stared at the screen of his former college's website, _is it too late to go back? _he asked himself reading over the admissions information. It was early in the summer and most of the admissions had already closed, every link he clicked told him the deadline for applications had passed. _Maybe it is… _He clicked a few more pages, reading up on the application process before stumbling on a page for returning students. His eyes skimmed the page and brightened, _maybe it isn't. _Since he had studied at the school previously, he was technically a returning student and he did not need to go through the general admissions process again.

"Perfect," he uttered aloud to himself in the silence of his apartment. He let his eyes rest on the website, torn. _What about Elise? _He felt guilty, he couldn't leave her, they were best friends. _She'd want me to be happy right? _He nodded to himself, _Of course she would._ He still felt torn, how could he tell her he planned on leaving, could he even bring himself to just go? He looked through the page and read through the readmission process. _It's only a few forms,_ he thought to himself. He got up and began pacing back and forth, weighing his options. _I have until September to get an apartment out there. I can go straight to the financial aid office and discuss loans first thing when I get off the plane. Where would I stay until I found an apartment? _He sighed and paused his manic pacing, _a hotel? _

He sat down on the couch with his laptop and opened a new tab on his internet, searching hotels in the area of the school. He found three that seemed fairly priced and right near the campus. After a little digging, he found a room for fairly cheap and stared at the page, _could it be so easy? As long as I find an apartment in a week or two I can afford this, _he thought to himself, mentally calculating the cost of staying in the hotel against the contents of his bank account. Though living in New York was expensive, he still had a good chunk of money from his old job in Ohio and he didn't pay rent when he was living with his parents. _I have enough for a deposit on an apartment, the hotel fees I'd have to pay until I found one, what else? _He stared blankly at his laptop screen for a moment. _Plane ticket._

He opened up a third tab and typed the airline into the address bar. Scrolling fast, he found the different departure flights for California and quickly compared flight times, dates, and costs. There was a flight tonight. _Can I really take it? _He let his eyes rest on the page. The flight was to depart at four o'clock, _I'd have three hours to pack to get to the airport two hours before take-off to get through security. _He rose from the couch again and paced a bit more, talking out loud to himself.

"It isn't that expensive. I'd have to find a job and an apartment as soon as I got there. I can't afford room and board on campus. Should I wait? No, what's the point of dragging this out, I can't stay here." He stopped and looked down at his laptop resting on the couch cushion. He sighed, "what about Elise?" his shoulders slumped and he threw himself down on the couch again, leaning his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. "I can't leave her like this," he glanced at the clock. _11:30… _Only an hour and a half until Kurt was due to walk down that aisle. "What am I going to do?" Blaine moaned leaning back in this seat and running his hands through his messy curls, making them stick up on end. He couldn't face Kurt, he couldn't leave Elise, he couldn't stay in New York. Any which way he turned he was hurting someone or hurting himself. There was no way to win.

"_Don't you deserve to be happy too?"_ Elise's words echoed around in his mind, _"being happy doesn't mean you're selfish, Blaine."_ Tears of frustration pricked the corners of his eyes, why was this so difficult? His head lolled to the side along the back of the couch and he glanced sideways at the open page on his laptop. He sluggishly reached over and dragged the device over, setting it on his lap. He looked at the ticket information and the departure time on the airport's webpage. _Maybe I'll talk to Elise about it when she comes back, there's plenty of time to think about this, I don't need to decide today… _He dragged the arrow on his screen and let it hover over the button to close the web page. He caught sight of the time in the corner of his laptop screen and his pulse jumped, Kurt was getting married in an hour and a half. He couldn't bring himself to hit the button.

"No," he muttered out loud to the silence in his apartment, "it's now or never." Determination washed over him and he began furiously clicking through the ticket information. He entered his information into the appropriate boxes and filled out every line, purchasing the ticket for the 4PM flight this evening.

He sent the information to his printer and printed out his papers. As fast as he could, he clicked on the next tab and opened the hotel information website, booking one week at the hotel near his campus. He printed out those papers as well and then printed out the proper forms he would have to fill out for readmission to his college. Snapping his laptop closed, he reached over to the table next to the couch and caught the papers as they were spit out of the printer, still warm. He glanced over all the information quickly and shot out of his seat. He had exactly two and a half hours to pack everything in his apartment into his suitcases and get to the airport.

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><p><em>Not another cliff-hanger! So so so sorry but I had to cut you off somewhere! The very last chapter will be posted on Monday! See you then!<em>

_Thank you so much for reading!_

_~ Jess  
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	27. Chapter 27

**A/N: **_Okay, it's Monday. To be precise, it is the last Monday I will be posting a chapter for this story. Wow, crazy to believe this has already come to an end. I don't want to ramble too much here because I'm sure you are impatient to read the chapter, so I will simply say thank you for reading, thank you for reviewing, enjoy the chapter, AND read the bottom author's note for an **important** message.  
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_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this chapter._

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><p>Blaine set the papers he had printed on the counter and booked it into his room, wrenching the doors of his closet open and diving through the clothes hanging there to get into the back. He dragged out two giant rolling suitcases and a large duffel bag which he had moved everything in with. He had also filled two cardboard boxes of stuff when he moved in, but he was going to have to cram the contents of his apartment into three bags. He set the two suitcases and the duffel bag on the bed and stared into their empty depths, planning how he was going to fit everything into those three bags.<p>

He didn't have too much in his apartment because he didn't move in with too much and since he had only been living in the city for a few months, he hadn't acquired much else. Still, cramming _everything_ into three bags was going to be a stretch. Before he knew it, he had been planning his strategy and staring at the bags for fifteen minutes and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw the time on the clock sitting his night stand read noon.

One hour until the wedding, two hours until he had to be at the airport.

His pulse began a steady thrumming in his chest as Blaine took in the time and he slowly reached for the cellphone that was resting on his nightstand. He opened his contacts list and slowly scrolled through the lists of names and numbers until he came across the one he was looking for. He took a deep breath and let it out shakily as he hit the send button and waited for the first ring.

As he suspected the phone rang and rang, the other end failing to pick up his call and sending him to voicemail.

"_Hi, you've reached Elise Durand. I'm not taking calls at the moment, but leave your name and number at the beep and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

The tone beeped and he began his message, "Elise? It's me. Listen," he plopped himself down on the bed, "I-I know you said to stay here until you came back, but I can't. I don't know if I'm being the most logical right now and I don't know if I should have made this decision by myself, but I'm leaving. Today." he paused to keep his voice from wavering on the line. "I booked a flight to California for four o'clock this afternoon, I've made hotel reservations near my old school for a week until I can find an apartment, and I'm about to start packing as I speak. It's a done deal. I just _can't _stay in this city any more. I thought I could come here and start a new life in a new place, but it just didn't work out like I had hoped. I hate leaving you, this isn't fair to you at all and I _know_ it. I feel like a complete ass for just leaving you like this but I can't bear to be here anymore. In case I don't see you before I go, I-I just wanted to tell you how much you truly mean to me Elise," tears spilled over his lower lids and his throat got thick, choking up his voice as he spoke into the receiver.

"You are the best friend I have ever had. I came to this city scared and broken, I came to you just looking for a job and I got _so_ much more. I got a job at the best coffee shop in the city, working for the _best_ boss on the face of the planet, and I got the best friend anyone could _ever _ask for. You put me back together after so many years of just being alive and not really _living_. You were there when I had no one else to turn to, you always knew how to cheer me up, you put up with my issues and all the recent problems I've had, you offered me the best advice even though I didn't always follow it," he pulled the receiver away from his mouth and sniffed noisily.

"I can't begin to tell you how much you mean to me Elise, I love you so much more than words could possibly express. I hope you know that. No matter what, you will always be my best friend, despite the distance between California and New York," his words got more choked and he could barely utter his good-bye to his best friend's voicemail. He cleared his throat before he brought the speaker back to his mouth, "if I don't see you before my flight, I'll call you as soon as I land and check into my hotel to let you know I made it there safely. I'm sorry it had to be this way, but if I don't leave today I'll _never_ have the balls to leave and I'll forever wonder what would have happened if I just left like I intended. I hope you understand, and I hope that you'll forgive me for just up and leaving like this," he sighed and wiped his eyes, sniffling as quietly as he could. "I have to finish packing," he mumbled bleakly into the phone. "I'm sorry and I love you so much, Elise. _Please_ forgive me. I love you. Goodbye."

He ended the call with a flick of the red button on his cell and stared at the blank screen for a few moments, feeling another pit open up in his chest, this one reserved for Elise. Pocketing the device in his sweatpants, he rose steadily from the bed, wiping the tears from his face on the back of his hand. He exhaled and let his shoulders slump forward, feeling heavier than they had before he made one of the hardest calls of his life. He shook his head and refused to let himself dwell, _pack! _He commanded himself brusquely. He glanced around his room and grabbed his rolling suitcase, wheeling it into the kitchen.

He began with the cupboards, removing his plates and glasses, folding them neatly in the towels and dishrags he had to keep them from breaking during the flight. He packed all of the things in his kitchen, leaving the counter tops bare and the cupboards positively barren. He took everything out of his refrigerator and freezer and dumped the little food he kept in there straight into the trash, feeling guilty for wasting it even though there wasn't much there. Next, he moved into the living room, packing his clocks, his printer, his laptop, and his DVD's into the already full case with everything else. Luckily, the apartment came fully furnished, so he didn't have to worry about shipping the couches and the television equipment.

When he finished clearing out the living room, he fought with the zipper to close the suitcase and wheeled the hulking thing over and set it up on end right next to the front door. Next, he grabbed his guitar and set it next to the suitcase at the door, scanning his eyes over the empty living room and kitchen for anything he may have missed. It was strange how bare the place looked after all the months of seeing it adorned with all the little things that made it home.

With the living room and the kitchen completely stripped of all his possessions, he meandered into his bedroom to clear out that room and the adjacent bathroom connected to it. He snatched his duffel bag off the bed and dragged it into the bathroom and began packing his toiletries and towels into it, trying to make the best of the little space he had to fill. As he packed everything up, he expected to feel better about leaving, to feel the sense of relief he felt when he packed up to leave Ohio and move to New York a few months ago. He didn't.

The more he packed up, the more uneasy he felt about going. Truth be told, he loved the city more than any other place he had ever been to, and leaving it didn't seem right because this truly was his _home_. He loved the lights and the sights, as well as the people and the places that he was a part of every day. He had met some great people in the city and if things had turned out different, he'd still be living here. The more he pondered it, the more frustrated he got that he had finally found his home and he was forcing himself to leave it all behind.

"Damn it," Blaine cursed aloud. He was sick of uprooting himself again and again and never just _settling_ in one place, running away from Kurt and his own emotions like he was fleeing the plague. He crammed the last towel into the bulging duffel bag and zipped the pack closed, dragging it behind him out of the bathroom. "This is the _last_ time I'm moving cross-country," he vowed out loud to himself as he slammed the bag down next to the full suitcase and his guitar by the front door. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket as he made his way to the bedroom and checked the time. 12:45PM.

He almost swallowed his tongue at the sight, his stomach tightening and fluttering unpleasantly. "Fuck," he breathed and threw his phone on the bed, putting as much distance between himself and the clock as he could. _Fifteen minutes, _his brain reminded him, _fifteen minutes and Burt will be walking him down the aisle. Fifteen minutes and Kurt Hummel will become Kurt Ayers. _

He threw open his last enormous suitcase and shook it off, _this is why you're leaving, _he reminded himself. With shaking hands, he began sifting through the clothes in his closet, keeping them on their hangers but folding them into the suitcase as tightly and neatly as he possibly could. He managed to pack his whole closet, shoes included into the suitcase and still have room for the clothes in his dresser, the very last of the possessions he had to pack. He grabbed his cell off the bed and checked the time again 12:57PM.

His chest seized and his heart dropped. Clenching his jaw, he threw open his top drawer and hastily emptied the contents into his open suitcase, refolding the clothes and bodily cramming them into the bag. He glanced at his cell lying innocently next to the suitcase and with a trembling finger, he touched a button on the screen, bringing it to life and illuminating the time he did not want to see. The clock read 1:04PM.

He turned back to his dresser and opened the second of three drawers, just staring blankly at the clothes folded there. Time stretched on as he emptied that drawer and as the minutes passed, the ceremony played out in Blaine's mind. The orchestra would pick up their instruments and begin a dulcet melody that would fill the room, the notes swelling and rolling in an elegant rhythm cascading over the audience as they rose from their seats and waited. The double doors would open slowly at the end of the aisle, revealing a dashing Kurt and his father, their eyes shining and faces glowing.

By now, Kurt would be walking down the aisle, beaming at all of his friends and at Glen who awaited the arrival of his soon to be husband at the end of the aisle. Burt would end his promenade with Kurt and clap him on the shoulder, both men misty eyed as his father went to take his seat next to Carole. The music would stop and everyone would take their seats as the reverend officiating the ceremony began to speak.

Kurt would be positively radiant, staring into his fiancé's eyes as he took the man's hands in his own and Glen would be staring back with the same warmth and giddy happiness. They would tune out the reverend and just stare at each other with shining eyes that spoke the words 'I love you' without their lips moving. The reverend would bring out the rings and they would exchange them with trembling fingers, murmuring promises of forever as they repeated the words the officiator dictated to them.

Blaine's own eyes began to well with tears as he opened the last drawer of his dresser and began removing the last of his clothes to pack in his suitcase. All the while he packed, the happy little wedding scene danced in his mind, playing with a crystal clarity that made him feel as though he were sitting in the audience with everyone else. Everyone's perfect dream a perfect nightmare in his eyes.

Once each man had a ring and the lifetime of promises it held, the reverend would utter his last sentiment, gently closing the book he held in his hands. There wouldn't be a dry eye in the room as the happy couple pressed their lips together in the first kiss that would seal the rest of their lives together forever. Laughing, they would turn to face the crowd, their fingers laced securely together, and the reverend would declare the newlyweds as Mr. and Mr. Ayers. The room would erupt in happy sobs and applause as the audience rose to their feet, sniffling and clapping. Smiling from ear to ear, Glen and Kurt would begin their parade down the aisle together as husbands and leave the room, setting foot through the threshold into their new life together.

Blaine felt a single tear leak out of the corner of his eye and slide down the curve of his cheek, falling down and splashing on the back of his hand as he reached into the drawer and pulled out the last of the folded jeans at the bottom. He turned toward his stuffed suitcase and forced the denim in with the rest of the clothes in there. The bag was bulging out at the sides and the clothes there had gone from being neatly packed, to piled and shoved in any nook and cranny they would fit in, closing the bag was going to be a chore.

Sighing, he turned back to his dresser and reached for the handle, but the drawer wasn't empty, there was one article of clothing balled into the corner of the drawer where it had been crammed. With a shaking, cold hand, Blaine reached into the depth of the drawer and closed his fingers over the soft fabric of the white and red striped shirt. Numbly, he unfolded it and smoothed the creases out with his fingertips, releasing the distinct smell of Kurt that stung his eyes. The scent blossomed from the shirt, tickling Blaine's nose and forming a lump to his throat that he couldn't swallow.

His quavering hands brought the shirt to his nose and he inhaled the scent deeply, closing his eyes as the smell flooded his eyes with tears. The sweetly familiar aroma seeped into his lungs and settled as a heavy veil over his heart, sinking it in his chest. A flush of memories flowed through his mind, all of them Kurt.

Some were recent, like Kurt curled under Blaine's arm and clasping his hand in the cab, but some were older, seeing Kurt the first time on the stairs of Dalton Academy, their first kiss, the night they gave themselves to each other for the first time. His breathing grew ragged and his heart cried out, longing for the memories to be more than just projections of the past. His arms wanted to hold Kurt, his lips wanted to kiss Kurt, his heart wanted to love Kurt, but his brain chimed in with the painful reminder that it was only memory now.

Blaine buried his face in the shirt and sobbed, the sound muffled by the fabric keening in tune with the sound of the driving rain outside the apartment. His shoulders shook and his knees gave out on him, sending him backwards and seating him on the bed next to the suitcase. It wasn't more than a minute and the shirt was soaked with the tears, the salt water blossoming across the striped pattern clutched in his fingers. He took the shirt away from his face and sniffled, taking a deep breath through his nose. He was sick of crying. He reached for his cellphone and checked the time 1:27PM. His heart fluttered and sank as he gave a small sob and set his cellphone down on the bed again. He needed to leave for the airport in fifteen minutes in order to be there for 2PM.

_Kurt will be a married man by then… _his brain reminded him. Blaine clutched the shirt to his chest and let the tears just run down his cheeks. _This is why you're leaving. _He glanced sideways at his suitcase and thought about whether or not he was going to pack the shirt. He ran his thumb over the damp, sweet-smelling fabric and wondered if bringing this piece of Kurt with him was a wise choice. He stared at the shirt, unwilling to part with it, yet unable to find a justifiable reason to keep it because getting rid of it was for the better. But he couldn't do it.

Sighing, he dropped the shirt onto the bed next to where he sat and rested his elbows on his knees burying his face in his hands. He needed to calm himself down, crying all the way to the airport and through the security process wasn't an option. He focused on his breathing and tried to keep it even, wishing the damn tears would stop, but flow on they did. He listened to the rain in the silence of his apartment as it pattered against the windows and concentrated on that alone, not allowing his thoughts to stray to more painful topics.

The front door slammed open, smashing into the wall in the other room and Blaine's shoulders started a little, but he left his face buried in his hands. The familiar sound of Elise's hurried footsteps tapped along in the kitchen and the living room looking for him in there. When it was clear he wasn't in either the kitchen or the living room, her quick steps made their way down the hall and came to a dead stop in the doorway of his room when she must have caught sight of his hunched back as he sat facing away from the door on his bed.

"I know why you're here, Elise," he said without turning to face her before she could yell at him or beg him to stay, or both. "And I want to tell you that before you say one word, I'm leaving and nothing will change my mind."

The room was silent, no one said a single word, the air tense. Blaine sniffed and wiped yet another tear off his cheek. "I'm sorry okay?" he choked out, unable to face her. "But I just _can't_ stay here anymore. Like I said in the message, I've got a flight at four to California and I'm not coming back. I'm so sick of hurting myself and coming to New York was a huge mistake, even if it didn't seem like it at first. As long as he's in this city I _can't_ be. I know it's unfair to you and the shop, but it just hurts too much," he whispered, gripping his chest. "I came here to start over again after he broke my heart once, and I let him do it all over again. I'm such an idiot." Elise shifted in the doorway behind him but waited for him to continue.

"I can't believe I deluded myself into thinking that for one _second_ I had another chance," he thought aloud, shaking his head slowly back and forth, "not when he had a wealthy, handsome, mature, established fiancée who can give him so much more than I _ever_ could. You know what I've always regretted the most?" he asked rhetorically, "right after he ended things I almost bought a plane ticket to New York to get him back. For months I would open the airline's website and just stare at all of the departure times to the city, never having the courage to just pick one and fly out here to get him back. And here I am five years later in this very city and I thought this was the chance I'd been waiting for, but it's too little too late. Maybe if I had taken one of those flights five years ago things would be different, but they aren't and I can't keep kidding myself. I _need_ to move on."

The tears he had been battling spilled over his lids again and he hastily wiped them away in frustration. "I'm being such a shitty friend to you Elise, I feel guilty as hell for just running away like this, like some scared little boy would run away from the monster under his bed. I just can't see any other way around this, I _am _a scared little boy. I'm scared about the future, I'm afraid of my past, and right now I am _terrified_ by the situation I'm presently in. I-I'm in love with a married man," he admitted breathlessly, shaking his head. "I'm petrified that I'll never be able to _not_ be in love with him. You'd think that after five years I would be able to keep a healthy relationship with someone else, but no matter what I do, no matter what I tell myself, I _still_ love him. Too much."

He buried his face in his hands, "and this is why I have to leave. I can't face him. I don't know what I'd do if I just ran into him on the street or he came by the shop for a cup of coffee. I wouldn't be able to look into those b-_beautiful_ blue eyes of his and not feel something for him. I can't love him anymore and yet I feel like I'll never stop. No matter what I do to try and take it back, my heart will always belong to him."

His cheeks were slicked with salty tears now, spreading along the planes of his face and trickling down his chin. "I wish this were simpler. I wish we could be together and that he could be mine and I could be his. I wish I could stay here with you Elise. But it isn't that easy. And it never will be because I'm in love with Kurt, and _only_ Kurt," he whispered, his voice trailing off and ending in a choked sob. Blaine ran his hands over his face, wiping away the moisture on his cheeks but his red-rimmed eyes produced more tears as quickly as he could wipe them away.

Uncomfortable shifting came from the doorway at his back, but Blaine couldn't bring himself to turn around and see the hurt look on Elise's face. He wished she hadn't come, this goodbye was going to kill him. He waited for her to say something, anything because the silence between them was setting his heart aching even more. He heard a sniffle and a breathy inhale from the door.

"Blaine?" Kurt whispered.

He froze. Every muscle in his body seizing up and freezing solid. His heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat, his eyes bulging in their sockets at the sound of _that_ voice.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked again, hesitantly.

Blaine shot up from the bed and whirled around to face the door. His heart hammered against the inside of his ribs as his tear moist eyes scanned the figure before him. Kurt stood awkwardly in the doorway of Blaine's bedroom, fully clad in his white tuxedo complete with a wilting red boutonniere. His shoulders were soaking wet and his hair was dark with moisture, long splatters of water soaking the bottoms of his trousers. He looked a mess. Droplets of water ran down the bridge of Kurt's nose and slid off the tip onto his vest.

"Y-You're soaked," Blaine breathed, his blank mind hardly able to form the words of his observation.

Kurt quickly glanced down at himself and back up, his dripping hair falling in his eyes. "It's raining outside," he replied, quickly flicking his wide eyes toward the window and brushing the hair out of his face.

Blaine's eyes went straight to the window for conformation and saw the sheets of driving rain that hadn't relented since he woke up this morning. He nodded quickly and returned his eyes to Kurt, "right," he breathed.

Both men remained silent for a while, neither saying a word as they just stared at each other. The air between them was thick with tension, a tension that was only disrupted by the sound of the rain outside. Blaine's brain was desperately grasping for words to say but he was too frazzled and his words had left him the moment he saw Kurt. His pulse was rushing hard and fast through his veins as he fought for words and couldn't come up with a single one.

Kurt sighed and cast his eyes at the rug, "y-you're leaving?" he asked looking up at the packed suitcase on the bed. Blaine nodded numbly, glancing down at the open case too. "I see." Kurt cast his eyes down and picked at the sleeve of his white coat.

Blaine swallowed hard and took a deep breath, "why are you here?" he demanded, his voice noticeably quavering.

"Blaine…"

"If you here t-to ask me to come to the reception, I can't. I-I have a flight to catch." Blaine turned back to his suitcase, cramming the white and red stripped shirt into the bag and flipping the lid closed, zipping it shut with one quick flick of his wrist.

"I didn't come here to ask you to come to the reception," Kurt mumbled from the doorway.

Blaine's eyes flicked up to Kurt, "what?"

"I didn't come here to invite you to a reception," Kurt repeated himself, "there is _no_ reception."

"_Why_ are you here?" Blaine asked again, his whole body shaking.

Kurt's eyebrows pulled together and he looked across the room into Blaine's eyes, "I came here for you."

Blaine's knees shook and knocked together as his eyes slowly traveled down the length of Kurt's left arm where they came to rest on the ring finger of Kurt's left hand. It was empty, no ring to be seen. His jaw went slack and he brought his eyes back to Kurt's. "I-I couldn't do it," Kurt breathed, his voice trembling.

Blaine blinked a few times as the words sank in and he felt his knees come close to giving out on him. A sob got caught in his throat as the words stuck in his brain and a million feelings washed over him. He felt everything all at once. His whole body trembled from head to foot and he got lightheaded, barely even noticing the tears streaming down his face until they began to trickle down his chin. He buried his face in his hands and doubled over, his lungs sputtering as he gasped for the air he had been neglecting to breathe. His gasp turned into a sob as his body came dangerously close to buckling and falling to the floor.

Kurt's footsteps bounded across the room, Kurt wrapping his arms around Blaine's trembling shoulders and holding him tight. "Shhh," Kurt whispered, tears of his own leaking down his porcelain cheeks. Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt, clutching as tight to Kurt as his shaking arms would allow and buried his face in the wet fabric of Kurt's shoulder.

It was all too much for him to handle, the excitement, the relief, the sheer joy that pumped his heart now. It was all too good to be true. A miracle. Blaine could hardly believe it. He leaned back to look up into Kurt's eyes, the crystalline burning blue he loved so much staring back at him swimming in tears. He felt so vulnerable looking into those eyes. One look could reduce him to a pile of bones on the floor at this man's feet. One touch, and he'd come undone. One word and his whole world could either come crashing down or come together. He was powerless under those eyes.

With shaking fingers, Kurt tenderly brushed away the tears on Blaine's face, letting his hand linger on Blaine's cheek. He rested their foreheads together and his eyelids fluttered closed with a sigh.

Blaine sniffled, "w-what happened?"

Kurt pulled back and looked Blaine in the eye. "I was at the wedding, standing behind the doors with my father waiting for the ceremony to begin. The music started and the doors opened to reveal all my friends and family… Glen was standing at the end of the aisle waiting for me… I looked down the length of aisle and saw him there, and it felt _wrong_," Kurt shook his head. "It took me until the moment I was staring my future in the face to realize I didn't want it. _Any_ of it. I didn't want _Glen_ to be the one waiting for me at the end of that aisle," he whispered, "I wanted it to be you."

Kurt leaned it slowly, closing the small distance between their lips, and ever so gently brushed a kiss across Blaine's mouth, his lips barely ghosting over the shorter man's. "I love you," Kurt murmured, barely audible over the rain outside.

Blaine stood stalk still just staring up at Kurt in disbelief. His hazel eyes scanned Kurt's face searching for the answer to the tangled mass of questions running through his head. How could this be happening? Is this even real? Was it some sick nightmare and the vision before him was about to be stolen from him again? Was this angel going to turn to white smoke right there in his arms, leaving him alone and broken again?

"Blaine say something," Kurt urged, his brow furrowing in concern.

Blaine's words were long gone now, he couldn't find them if he had wanted to. Instead, he slowly reached his hands up and placed his finger tips on either side of Kurt's jaw, barely resting them there. They traveled along the smooth plane of his pale jawline until it ended and followed up to his temples. His thumbs slowly traced the tear tracks on Kurt's cheeks, wiping away the salty tears. Kurt's eyes drifted closed and he leaned into the caress of Blaine's hands as they explored the planes of his face. They ghosted over his cheekbones and cheeks, running up the length of the petite nose before skimming gently over the eyelids and the soft fringe of chestnut-colored lashes that fanned across Kurt's cheeks.

Kurt's skin was warm and steady under the touch of Blaine's ice-cold, trembling fingers as they slowly memorized his face without any urgency. He traced every inch of the smooth skin on his face, saving the lips for last which he traced around and brushed his thumbs across, eliciting a breathy sigh from Kurt. He ran his fingers through his damp hair slowly, feeling the thickness of the brown strands slide between his fingers.

Kurt watched Blaine's face as the shorter man slowly ran his hands down the elegant length of Kurt's neck and across the tops of his wet shoulders. Just as slowly, he ran them back along the tops of his shoulders before lacing his fingers together at the nape of Kurt's neck. He drew Kurt in closer, resting their foreheads together, and let his eyelids sink closed with a sigh.

"This all feels like a dream," Blaine murmured finally.

Kurt's lips slowly inched closer to Blaine's, "if it is, I don't want you to wake up."

"Never," Blaine breathed against Kurt's lips.

Blaine closed the gap in one movement, the rush of air forced out of his lungs by the butterflies in his stomach turning into a sigh. His hands behind Kurt's neck held him impossibly close as he deepened the kiss and Kurt's arms snaked around Blaine even tighter and held him to his chest. The kiss was slow and sweet, warmth spreading through the numbness in the rest of Blaine's body. It sent a thrill through his veins, sparking his frozen muscles and loosening them, effectively turning Blaine to mush, completely powerless in Kurt's tight embrace as their lips sweetly melded together in a slow, familiar pattern.

The tattered and frayed ends of Blaine's heart seemingly smelted together as the warmth spread through his body and reached his chest. His heart sputtered and picked up its pace, in turn sending a chill up Blaine's spine and making him shiver. He pulled against the back of Kurt's neck, needing to be closer if it were possible and Kurt obliged, stepping closer and tightening his arms around Blaine even more.

It was all so surreal, being close to Kurt like this, he never thought he would ever have this again. He never wanted to give this feeling up again. His head was spinning off in a dizzy haze making him lightheaded and weak at the knees. He was Kurt's, and Kurt was his, just like it was always meant to be. He felt tears of happiness prick his eyes and trickle down his cheeks.

Kurt started shaking, his lips trembling against Blaine's. His breaths came quick and shallow through his nose as his mouth moved against Blaine's. Kurt moved his lips form Blaine's as fat tears started rolling down his pale cheeks, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly against Blaine's pink lips.

Blaine pulled against Kurt's neck and silenced him with his lips, bringing their mouths crashing together with a sigh. Kurt whimpered against Blaine's mouth and Blaine wrapped his arms around Kurt's waist, holding him close in a tight embrace. Blaine drowned himself in Kurt, his already kiss swollen lips moving fervently. He put everything he had felt in the last five years into the kiss. The longing, the anguish, the heart-ache, the regret, the sleepless nights; he buried them all in that one kiss. None of it mattered, he was right there where he belonged.

Blaine pulled his lips from Kurt's, "I love you," he whispered breathlessly, brushing his lips across Kurt's again.

Kurt smiled warmly brought a hand up and caressed Blaine's cheek lightly, "I know. I'm _so_ sorry for hurting you. I-I never meant to—"

"Shhh," Blaine breathed pressing a finger to Kurt's rosy lips, "it doesn't matter anymore. The only thing that matters now is this," he murmured taking Kurt by the hand and placing it over Kurt's heart. "_Only_ this," he whispered glancing down at their hands resting over Kurt's heart, "and what it wants right now."

Kurt's piercing blue eyes searched Blaine's hazel ones for a moment before he reached out and placed his free hand over Blaine's heart. "_This_," Kurt breathed.

Blaine's eyes followed Kurt's arm and he looked down at the pale hand resting over heart. "That's always belonged to you," he replied flicking his eyes back up to Kurt's.

"That's it."

"You're sure?" Blaine asked reaching his hand up and caressing Kurt's cheek with the hand that wasn't over Kurt's heart.

"I've never been more sure," he breathed. Kurt leaned in and pressed his lips lightly against Blaine's whose lips curled in a warm smile. Kurt sighed and clutched Blaine's hand tightly to his chest and the corners of his lips lifted to match Blaine's.

A pang of panic struck Blaine's consciousness, "what about Glen?" Blaine whispered against Kurt's lips.

Kurt pulled back to look Blaine square in the eye, "what?"

Blaine swallowed the lump in his throat and took a deep breath, "I-I just need to know that he— That you and him are— That we—"

"Blaine, there is no more Glen and I."

"A-And you won't…"

"No."

"You won't change your mind?"

"Never," Kurt replied smiling and running a hand softly through Blaine's messy curls.

Blaine nodded to himself, "it's just…"

"Just what?"

Blaine let loose a single chuckle, "I am petrified," he admitted.

"There's nothing to be afraid of."

"There's _everything_ to be afraid of," Blaine replied, shaking his head. "I am terrified you'll wake up one day and think you made the wrong choice."

"Blaine…"

"I _can't _lose you again," he murmured rubbing his thumb over Kurt's cheekbone.

"You won't," Kurt said firmly, pressing his lips reassuringly against Blaine's.

Blaine broke the kiss, "I-I just want to make sure you're absolutely _positive _that this is what you want."

"Blaine," Kurt began, "I've made my choice. It's you. It'll always ever be you."

Blaine looked deep into Kurt's eyes, searching for any sign of ambivalence in the limpid blue pools before him, "but you can't say that you don't still have feelings for him." Kurt opened his mouth to protest but Blaine held up a hand, "I know some part of you still loves him."

Kurt sighed lightly and took Blaine's hand in his. "I do still love Glen," he began and Blaine hung his head, "but," Kurt continued, hooking a finger under Blaine's chin and lifting his hazel eyes up to his, "that will pass. I'm _in_ love with _you_."

He leaned in and kissed Blaine, cupping the shorter man's face delicately in both of his hands. His lips were warm and reassuring, Blaine couldn't help but fall even harder for Kurt. The wall he built up slowly crumbled, Kurt being the only one who could ever bring it down. He rested his hands lightly on Kurt's chest, feeling the muscles under his vest and shirt and the heartbeat fluttering beneath his palms. Kurt was there, not just as a worn out memory in the back of his mind, but physically there. And Kurt was his.

Kurt ended the kiss and gently rested their foreheads together, his eyes still closed and a dimpled smile spread wide across his face as they just kind of rested there for a while, neither moving. Blaine brought a hand up to the inside of Kurt's wrist and lightly tracing patterns across the sensitive flesh with his thumb. Kurt sighed in contentment, bringing a smile to Blaine's lips and a flutter to his stomach.

"So," Blaine began after a while, "how did he take it?"

Kurt let out a choked chuckle, "bad."

"Yeah?"

Kurt nodded his head without parting their foreheads or opening his eyes, "I got to the end of the aisle and called the whole thing off. It was quite dramatic."

"You _are_ one for theatrics."

Kurt grinned wider and laughed lightly, "he was really upset though. I really hurt him."

"Did you tell him why?"

Kurt gave a slight nod, "he knew it was you. He wasn't happy about that at all, but I don't blame him, I kind of ripped out his heart. He kicked me out of the apartment."

Blaine finally separated their foreheads and leaned back to look at Kurt, "he _what_?"

"Well he asked me to move out, which I had planned on doing anyway. Speaking of which…" Kurt trailed off raising his wrist and checking the time on his watch. "My dad, Carole, and Finn are at my apartment right now packing up some things while Glen isn't there. I should be there helping them, but I had to come see you first. And I'm glad I did, or else you would be on your way to the airport right now." Blaine nodded and glanced over his shoulder at the suitcase on his bed. "I should get going," Kurt said placing a peck on Blaine's lips before taking a step back, "I have a lot of packing to do. And by the looks of it, you have a lot of _un_packing to do."

"Where will you live if he's kicking you out?" Blaine asked.

"Rachel has offered me to stay with her until I can find an apartment. Hopefully I can find one soon, she and Finn had a less than cordial argument before the wedding and I don't know how much of Rachel's dramatics I can take." Kurt chuckled at his own joke and started backing away from Blaine and toward the doorway.

"Stay here," Blaine said simply.

"What?"

"Move in with me."

Kurt smirked and strode out of the bedroom, Blaine hot on his heels, "take no offense, although homey, your apartment is a _little_ small," he said entering the living room and looking around as if to emphasize his point.

Blaine shrugged, "we can look for a bigger one. Until we find one to your liking, you can stay here with me."

Kurt made his way over to the front door and paused, looking at the room around him and then at Blaine's stuffed suitcases next to him. "it's a single apartment, designed for a bachelor," Kurt said with a teasing smile dancing playfully about the corners of his mouth. "You still have to unpack all of your things, plus all of mine. Even though you can manage, I won't be able to fit my apartment in three suitcases," Kurt giggled.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised in the slightest," Blaine grinned.

"Me either. I've got to go pack and you have to unpack and cancel flight plans so you and I both better get to work." Kurt leaned down and pressed his lips to Blaine's quickly before stepping out into the hall.

"You never gave me an answer," Blaine called to Kurt as he began walking away from the apartment down the hall.

Kurt stopped and turned around to face Blaine who was propped in the doorframe of his apartment. "To what, moving in with you?"

Blaine nodded and crossed his arms.

One side of Kurt's mouth quirked up in a smile and he arched an eyebrow, "tell you what, I'll move in… if I get the closet."

A smile tickled the corners of Blaine's lips and he couldn't help but laugh. "Deal."

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><p><em>As promised that was the last chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. BUT, that is not the last installment for this fic. On Thursday I will be posting the <strong>EPILOGUE<strong>. So please, tune in one last time on Thursday. I'll see you then!_

_Thank you so much for reading!_

_~ Jess  
><em>


	28. Epilogue

**A/N: **_I present to you the final installment of my story, _Frayed at the Ends_. Enjoy!_

_I do not own anything Glee related that is mentioned in this story.  
><em>

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><p><strong>~ One Year Later ~<strong>

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><p>The warm June sun streamed through the stained-glass windows, throwing multicolored shapes around the large room and splashing color over the white rose petals that were scattered down the aisle between the rows of seats. A warm breeze flitted through the room up the aisle, swirling the delicate petals and wafting the smell of roses through the room, tickling the sniffling noses of the audience.<p>

There wasn't a dry eye in the room, the sun shining off the tear tracks on each person's face as they feverishly dabbed their cheeks without tearing their eyes from the front of the room. Old friends, new friends, and two sets of families sat together watching with tearful smiles spread across their faces. The room was silent, save for the occasional sniffle and the deep tenor voice of the reverend as he read aloud to the room and, more importantly, to the center of everyone's attention.

Kurt and Blaine stood together in front of the reverend, hands clasped and warm smiles dancing about their corners of their lips. Their shining eyes were locked in a silent conversation as the minister spoke beautifully about the future and the love shared by these two men. The rest of the room was hanging on every word uttered by the reverend, but the only thing running through the minds of the couple were thoughts of each other. Their palms were clammy and their knees were trembling as the reverend withdrew two gold bands from his breast pocket, handing one to each man.

With trembling fingers, Blaine took Kurt's left hand and gently slid the ring into place on the third finger of his hand. "With this ring, I thee wed," he murmured, looking deeply into the crystal blue eyes before him. The corners of Kurt's lips twitched up and his cream-colored cheeks bloomed with a flush of pink.

Kurt took Blaine by the left hand and slid the ring on the third finger, setting it snugly at the base of the finger whilst he murmured, "with this ring, I thee wed." Blaine's lips curled up, dimpling his cheeks as a tear escaped Kurt's lashes.

He reached up and tenderly wiped the tear away with the pad of his thumb, letting his palm gently linger a moment on his cheek, eliciting a collective sigh and an "_awwww_" from the audience, before dropping his arm and taking Kurt's hands in both of his own.

"Do you, Blaine Anderson, take Kurt Hummel to be your lawfully wedded husband? For better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for as long as you both shall live?"

He nodded and looked straight into Kurt's eyes, "I do," he declared, lightly squeezing Kurt's hands.

Kurt grinned wide as the reverend began again. "Do you, Kurt Hummel, take Blaine Anderson to be your lawfully wedded husband? For better or for worse, for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Kurt decreed warmly, sending Blaine's heart aflutter beneath his ribs.

"It is my pleasure," the reverend began, gently closing the volume in his hands, "to now pronounce you, Mr. and Mr. Hummel-Anderson. You may now seal this union with a kiss." The room was silent as the two men's eyes traveled from the reverend and fixed on each other, the edges of their mouths curving up in unison.

Time and space seemed to slow as they reached for each other, everyone in the room on the edge of their seats and holding their breath. They enveloped each other in the circle of their arms and leaned in slowly, the world around them dissolving.

Their lips met, warm and sweet on that summer day, and sparks flew just as they had the first time they kissed almost ten years ago. The butterflies erupted in a flurry in their stomachs as their lips came together, their eyelids fluttering closed. Their hearts beat as one, standing there at the alter in front of the reverend, everything else melting away, leaving just them. No one else. Just Kurt and Blaine.

Blaine wrapped Kurt tighter in his arms and leaned him back, dipping his shoulders down as if they were in a dance, their lips never parting. Kurt smiled against his lips and let himself lean, knowing Blaine would never let him fall. Their lips moved slowly, savoring the moment, a memory they both would share for the rest of their lives, surrounded by tearful loved ones and sharing their first kiss as husbands.

As they came down from cloud nine, they became aware of the cheers from their family and friends and the camera flashes bursting around them. Blaine slowly brought Kurt upright and let their lips linger together for a heartbeat before parting and resting their foreheads together. They gazed at each other, eyes shining and smiling from ear to ear.

Blaine brought a hand up and lightly caressed Kurt's flushed cheek, "I love you, so much," he murmured over the sound of applause.

Kurt's eyes warmed even more, "and I love you." Kurt leaned in and pressed his lips chastely against Blaine's once more.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the reverend called, "Mr. and Mr. Hummel-Anderson!"

Everyone erupted in a fresh wave of applause and dabbed fresh tears from their eyes as Kurt and Blaine turned to face the crowd of smiling faces before them. The string quartet struck up their instruments the violins, viola, and cello humming together in a harmonious melody for the grooms' procession down the aisle.

Blaine offered his arm to Kurt, who looped his arm through and placed a kiss on Blaine's cheek. They lingered a moment, smiling at each other before turning back toward the aisle cutting through the rows of seats. They stepped off together, taking their first steps as newlyweds, grinning at all of the tear streaked faces of the crowd around them. White rose petals rained down upon them as their friends and families tossed handfuls of them into the air.

Everyone's eyes were alight as they tossed rose petals and let them shower down on the couple's procession. Their families smiled tearfully at them, Burt wiping his eyes before reaching out and clapping Kurt and his newest son on the back as they made their way past him. Their old friends had flown in from all over the country to attend their long awaited wedding, and more recently made friends came as well.

Elise hadn't stopped crying since she woke up that morning and Blaine caught sight of her tear stained face among the crowd as he made his way past. Nathanial, his fiancé, and their newly adopted 3-year-old son tossed petals over the newlyweds, the toddler's delighted laughter adding to the cheers of the audience. The petals swirled to the ground as the cameras flashed and Kurt and Blaine made their way through the elegant double doors, and out of the building.

A pearly white limousine awaited them against the curb, Blaine opening the door for his husband. Kurt bowed in and pulled Blaine in after him, clutching the lapel of Blaine's tuxedo and bringing their mouths together. The limousine pulled away from the curb and drove toward central park, where the newlyweds would take their wedding photos before joining the scores of loved ones at the reception. Blaine laughed against Kurt's lips and circled him in his arms. He deepened the kiss briefly before pulling back and gazing into the piercing blue eyes before him, the ghost of a warm smile playing about his lips. He brushed his fingers tenderly along the blushed skin of Kurt's cheekbone, Kurt's lips twitching up and dimpling his cheeks.

"Mr. Hummel-Anderson," Blaine cooed, smiling at the sound of the name.

"Mr. Anderson-Hummel," Kurt replied, running a hand through Blaine's dark curls. He picked out a rose petal and giggled, flicking it at Blaine. Blaine smiled and wrinkled his nose, pressing his mouth against Kurt's for an instant.

They rested together in each other's arms, their noses only a few inches apart, each man staring into the eyes of his husband. Kurt sighed in contentment, his body sinking comfortably into Blaine's arms, "I can't believe it's finally happened," he murmured, tracing Blaine's jawline with the tips of his fingers.

"It's happened," Blaine confirmed. "There's no escaping me this time, Kurt Hummel-Anderson."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm yours," Kurt smiled, laughing lightly, and gingerly pressed his lips to Blaine's.

Their hearts flitting against their ribs, and their lips moved with a slow and tender intensity. They melted together, surrendering to bliss and losing themselves in each other. They floated in a tranquil dream like haze, a lovely warmth spreading through them and serenity enveloping them. Their future was bright, they had the best friends and family anyone could ever ask for. They had each other. Finally, and forever.

"I love you, Blaine" Kurt hummed, cupping Blaine's blushing cheeks in his hands.

Blaine sighed and another smile graced his lips for the thousandth time that day. He pulled his husband closer to his chest, the delicate scent of roses tickling his nose, and murmured, "I am forever yours."

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><p><em>And that's all she wrote, literally.<em>

_It's strange to think it's finally over, that I won't be working with this particular story anymore. It was the first ever fanfic and the first long story I have ever finished. Ever. It's kind of a momentous occasion for me. And I wouldn't be anything without all of you. _

_To all of you wonderful readers who have followed this story and taken a journey with me and the characters, thank you. Thank you for supporting me along this long and winding literary adventure. Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews, I never in a million years expected to get the response I did and the fact that I got you amazingly passionate and involved readers is just mind-blowing and it's a truly humbling experience. Thank you all so very much from the bottom of my heart._

_Aside from all of you amazing readers, there is one more person I still have to thank, Abigail. She co-runs this account with me and she has been with me and this fic ever since the very beginning when I first decided to embark on writing this story. She has lent me her ear and her eye for any questions or advice I sought from her. She put up with all of the late night writer's blocks, agonizing cliffhangers, the mental break downs, my obsessive compulsive tendencies to make this story the best it could be, and so so much more. I wouldn't be here, posting this epilogue, if it wasn't for her. Thank you so much Abigail, and I want to dedicate this entire story to you._

_Well, that's it. It's done, over. But fear not. Abigail will begin posting her first fic to this account in a few weeks, so keep an eye out for that. Also, I have recently begun yet another Klaine fanfic. It's still in the early stages, but I hope to keep working on it and to have it ready for all of you wonderful readers in the not-so-distant future._

_Thank you for reading. _

_Until next time!_

_Love,_

_Jess.  
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